EPFO settles 8.3 crore claims in FY26; removal of cheque leaf image rule benefits 7 crore members, says govt
EPFO settled over 8.3 crore claims in FY26 and scrapped the image‑upload requirement for cheque leaves in online claims. The reform, the Ministry of State for Labour and Employment told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply, has already benefited 7 crore members.
The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has settled more than 8.3 crore claims during FY 2025-26, an increase from the previous fiscal year. The government has also informed Parliament that it has eliminated the requirement to upload an image of a cancelled cheque or an attested bank passbook when filing and submitting claims. This, the government said, has already benefited about 7 crore members.
The details were shared by the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Shobha Karandlaje, in a written response to an unstarred question raised by Meenakshi Jain in the Rajya Sabha on 6 August.
Questions raised in Rajya Sabha and government's reply
Rajya Sabha Question | Government's Reply |
|---|---|
| (a) How many EPFO claims were settled during FY 2024-25 and FY 2025-26? | EPFO settled 6,01,59,608 claims in FY 2024-25 and 8,30,94,388 claims in FY 2025-26. |
| (b) Is it true that members no longer need to upload a cheque leaf image while filing online claims? | Yes. EPFO has removed the requirement to upload an image of a cancelled cheque or an attested bank passbook for online claims. |
| (c) What are the details of this change? | The requirement was discontinued from April 2025. Around 7 crore members have already benefited, with fewer claim rejections due to poor-quality or unreadable uploads and a reduction in related grievances. |
EPFO claims settlement rises sharply
As per the reply tabled in Rajya Sabha, EPFO settled 83,094,388 claims during FY 2025-26, a marked increase from 60,159,608 claims in FY 2024-25.
Cheque leaf upload no longer required
Starting from April 2025, as per the Ministry of Labour and Employment, EPFO has completely dispensed with the requirement to upload an image of a cancelled cheque or an attested bank passbook when an eligible member submits online claims.
The removal of this documentation requirement has helped eliminate claim rejections due to poor-quality or unreadable uploads and reduce grievances related to online claim processing, according to the government.
Earlier, when filing claims, members had to upload these documents to verify their bank account details. With bank account information now being verified through EPFO’s digital systems, the additional document requirement has been removed, making the online claim process simpler and more user-friendly.
For complete details of the unstarred question, you can refer to the official response at: https://sansad.in/getFile/annex/271/AU2174_uACsqD.pdf?source=pqars