The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) processed more than 8.3 crore claims during FY 2025-26, s higher than the number recorded in the previous financial year, according to information shared by the government in Parliament. The Centre also informed the Rajya Sabha that EPFO has removed the requirement for members to upload a cancelled cheque or an attested bank passbook while filing online claims, a move that has already benefited nearly 7 crore members.
The details were provided by Minister of State for Labour and Employment Shobha Karandlaje in a written reply to an unstarred question raised by Meenakshi Jain in the Rajya Sabha on August 6.
The government’s response showed a substantial rise in the number of claims settled by EPFO over the past year.
According to the reply, EPFO settled 6,01,59,608 claims in FY 2024-25, while the figure climbed to 8,30,94,388 claims in FY 2025-26. The increase highlights a notable expansion in the organisation’s claim-processing capacity over the course of the year.
The information was shared in response to a parliamentary query seeking details on the volume of EPFO claims settled across the last two financial years.
Government Explains Why Cheque Upload Is No Longer Needed
Responding to another question, the government confirmed that EPFO members are no longer required to upload an image of a cancelled cheque or an attested bank passbook while submitting online claims.
As per the Ministry of Labour and Employment, this requirement was withdrawn in April 2025. The government stated that approximately 7 crore members have already benefited from the simplification.
The move has helped reduce claim rejections that previously occurred because of blurred, incomplete or unreadable document uploads. It has also lowered the number of grievances related to online claim submissions.
Earlier, members were required to upload these documents to validate their bank account information before claims could be processed. However, with bank account details now being authenticated through EPFO’s digital verification systems, the additional documentation has been eliminated, making the online claim process faster and more convenient for subscribers.
Rajya Sabha Questions And Government’s Responses
The written reply addressed three key questions raised in the Rajya Sabha:
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.
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.
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.
The government said these changes are intended to simplify the claims process while improving the overall experience for EPFO subscribers through increased digital verification and reduced paperwork.
