EPFO may launch E-PRAAPTI by August-end: How the new portal can help you trace old or inactive PF accounts

Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) subscribers struggling to access old or inactive provident fund accounts may soon get major relief. The EPFO is expected to roll out E-PRAAPTI — a digital platform that will help members trace, link and claim funds lying in old or inactive PF accounts — by the end of August

According to The Hindu BusinessLine, which reported the development on 4 August, the EPFO is currently testing a back-end software upgrade to create a stable national database before launching the platform.

The initiative seeks to address a long-standing problem of unclaimed PF savings. The report said that over 30.91 lakh inoperative EPF accounts, holding nearly ₹9,330 crore, remain unclaimed.

An EPF account becomes inoperative if no contributions are received for three consecutive years. Currently, nearly eight crore EPFO members contribute to their PF accounts every month through 7.89 lakh establishments.

What is E-PRAAPTI?

Union Labour and Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya first announced the platform in April this year.

According to an ANI report published on 29 April, the minister described E-PRAAPTI (EPF Aadhaar-Based Access Portal for Tracking Inoperative Accounts) as “a dedicated digital platform to facilitate identification, tracking, UAN linking and activation of old EPF accounts.”

He further said the portal would provide “a streamlined Aadhaar-based authentication mechanism” that will allow members to securely access old EPF accounts that are not linked to a Universal Account Number (UAN), update their profiles, and complete UAN linking and activation.

According to The Hindu BusinessLine, Aadhaar-based verification will replace much of the existing manual process, reducing paperwork and speeding up claims.

How will the new portal work?

According to the report, E-PRAAPTI is primarily aimed at members who still have old Member Identification Numbers (MIDs)—the unique account numbers used before the Universal Account Number (UAN) was introduced in October 2014.

MIDs have been issued since the EPF Scheme came into force in 1952. Once launched, the portal is expected to work as follows:

• Secure Aadhaar login: Members will be able to log in using Aadhaar-based authentication to trace old or scattered PF deposits without initially submitting full documentation.
• Online application: Subscribers will need to fill out an online form with their EPF details and other information required to process the request.
• Automatic PF account merger or withdrawal: If the system finds that an old MID matches an existing UAN, it will automatically process the request to merge old PF accounts with the latest one or facilitate withdrawal, subject to eligibility conditions.
• New UAN where required: If a subscriber has an MID but does not have a UAN, the portal is expected to generate a new UAN for future transactions.
• Identity verification for unmatched cases: If a subscriber does not have an MID, the online application will be forwarded to the EPFO office concerned for identity verification before the claim is processed.

The digital process is expected to reduce dependence on past employers for verification, minimise paperwork and eliminate multiple visits to EPFO offices.

Speaking about the rollout in April, Mandaviya had also said, “In the initial phase, the portal will be member ID-based, ensuring a secure and efficient rollout while delivering immediate benefits to a large segment of members who possess their member IDs.”

He added that the platform's scope is expected to expand in later phases to cover members who may not remember or have access to their old Member IDs.

Once launched, E-PRAAPTI could make it much easier for millions of EPFO subscribers to trace forgotten PF accounts and recover savings that have remained locked away for years.

Disclaimer: This is meant for informational purposes only. Please visit the official website for the latest updates.