EPFO urges employers to avail EEC-2026, Amnesty, Vishwaas schemes; highlights digital reforms under EPFO 3.0

The EPFO has launched new compliance initiatives, including EEC-2026 and the Vishwaas and Amnesty schemes, aimed at expanding employee benefits.

The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has urged employers to take advantage of its special compliance and dispute resolution initiatives, including the Employees’ Enrolment Campaign (EEC-2026), Amnesty Scheme-2026 and Vishwaas Scheme-2026, while also leveraging digital services introduced under EPFO 3.0 and the Centralised IT Enabled Services (CITES) platform to simplify compliance and improve member services.

Regional Provident Fund Commissioner-I, Greater Noida, Vaibhav Singh said the new initiatives aim to expand social security coverage, encourage voluntary compliance and make provident fund services faster, more transparent and digitally accessible for both employers and employees.

Special schemes aim to improve compliance, resolve disputes

EPFO said the Employees’ Enrolment Campaign (EEC-2026) is a voluntary compliance drive that enables employers to enrol eligible employees who should have been covered under the Employees' Provident Fund Scheme earlier but were left out due to various reasons. The campaign seeks to bring more eligible workers under the social security net, promote voluntary compliance and strengthen employees’ retirement security.

The organisation also highlighted the Vishwaas Scheme-2026, which will remain operational from June 29 to December 28, 2026. The scheme has been introduced to facilitate the speedy and amicable resolution of disputes relating to damages imposed for delayed provident fund contributions. Eligible establishments can avail relief in damages subject to prescribed conditions, while pending disputes and litigation can also be resolved through the scheme. EPFO clarified that the scheme does not waive statutory provident fund contributions or interest liabilities and provides relief only in notified cases involving damages.

The Amnesty Scheme-2026, also valid between June 29 and December 28, 2026, is intended for eligible establishments operating exempted provident fund trusts without formal exemption notifications or where compliance requires regularisation. The scheme offers a one-time opportunity for regularisation, simplifies the approval process, enables digital submission of applications and seeks to improve governance and transparency among exempted trusts. Employers have been advised to complete the process before the notified deadline.

EPFO 3.0 expands digital services for members and employers

Singh said EPFO 3.0 has significantly modernised member and employer services by making them simpler, faster and fully digital. Through CITES, services across regional offices have been centralised and standardised, allowing members to submit physical claims at any EPFO office across the country while enabling faster and more transparent claim processing.

Under the updated system, members changing jobs or facing unemployment can withdraw up to 75% of their provident fund balance while retaining the remaining 25% in the account. Eligible withdrawal amounts and other claim-related information are also visible on the EPFO portal before filing claims.

The revised EPF Scheme-2026 has also simplified advance claim provisions. Members completing 12 months of service can withdraw up to 100% of their eligible balance as an advance under specified conditions. The revised limits permit advance claims up to three times in a financial year for medical treatment, up to ten times during membership for education, five times for marriage, five times for housing-related purposes such as purchase, construction, loan repayment or renovation, and twice every financial year under special circumstances without specifying a reason.

Sharing the Greater Noida Regional Office's performance, Singh said annual account updates for 2025-26 have been completed for 25,08,235 eligible members across 6,000 establishments at an annual interest rate of 8.25%, and the interest has already been credited to members' provident fund accounts. Members can now access updated balances through the EPFO Member Portal and the UMANG application.

He added that under EPFO 3.0, the auto claim settlement limit has been increased from ₹1 lakh to ₹5 lakh. Eligible advance claims relating to illness, education, marriage and housing are now being processed through an automated system, with payments generally completed within 72 hours. Interest on provident fund claims is also being calculated until the date of final approval, enabling members to receive higher interest than under the earlier system.