More than ₹9,330 crore remains unclaimed in nearly 31 lakh inoperative Employees’ Provident Fund accounts across India, according to an RTI response.
The data highlights the scale of dormant retirement savings at a time when the Centre has introduced the new EPF Scheme, 2026, aimed at simplifying provident fund rules and making the system more digital for subscribers.
Nearly 30.91 Lakh EPF Accounts Still Inoperative
According to the RTI response, as of March 31, 2026, around 30,91,862 EPF accounts were classified as inoperative.
These accounts collectively held approximately ₹9,330 crore in unclaimed funds.
The EPF Scheme, 2026 came into effect on June 29, 2026, replacing the earlier EPF Scheme, 1952.
Dormant Accounts Declined Only Marginally
EPFO data shows that the number of inoperative accounts reduced from 31.83 lakh as of March 31, 2025, to 30.91 lakh as of March 31, 2026.
This means the number of dormant accounts declined by around 92,000 during the year.
The unclaimed amount also reduced from ₹10,181 crore to ₹9,330 crore, a fall of ₹851 crore.
Scale of Unclaimed Corpus Remains Significant
Despite the reduction, the volume of unclaimed retirement savings remains substantial.
The ₹9,330 crore lying in dormant EPF accounts is comparable to major public expenditure programmes and reflects how many workers may still be unaware of, disconnected from or unable to access their provident fund balances.
EPFO Declines Some RTI Details
The RTI application also sought information on Aadhaar-linked inoperative EPF accounts and auto-settlement status.
EPFO declined to provide some of this data, citing Section 8(1)(e) of the RTI Act, which protects information held in a fiduciary capacity.
The organisation also stated that data on dormant accounts with balances exceeding ₹5 lakh was not maintained in the requested format.
Proper Records Can Help Employees Track EPF Balances
Many EPF accounts become inoperative due to job changes, missing KYC updates, incorrect UAN linking, employer closure or lack of claim awareness.
Employees and businesses should maintain updated payroll, PF contribution and employee exit records.
Professional bookkeeping services in india can help employers maintain accurate salary records, PF ledgers and compliance documentation, reducing the risk of employee retirement funds becoming difficult to trace later.
Conclusion
The RTI disclosure shows that India still has a large pool of unclaimed retirement savings despite gradual improvement.
For employees, regularly checking EPF balances, updating KYC, linking UAN and consolidating old PF accounts can help prevent funds from becoming dormant.
Shunyatax Global Insight
Unclaimed EPF money is often the result of poor payroll records, incomplete exits, missing KYC updates and weak employee documentation.
Shunyatax Global believes employers should maintain clean payroll systems, updated PF records and structured exit documentation. Professional bookkeeping services in india can help businesses keep employee contribution records accurate and support smoother PF claim or transfer processes.