EPFO: How many days after leaving the job in the year 2026 can you withdraw PF money? The rules have changed recently

When and how much money can be withdrawn from EPFO?

EPFO: For employed people, their Provident Fund (PF) is no less than a lifesaver, especially when they suddenly lose their job. In that difficult period of unemployment, everyone keeps an eye on their savings. Keeping this in mind, the Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) has made major changes in the rules. Now if an employee loses his job, he will not have to wait long to fulfill his needs. These new rules announced by Labor Minister Mansukh Mandaviya are part of the ‘EPFO 3.0’ initiative, which aims to make digital claim settlement faster and easier.

You will get 75 percent of the amount immediately but..

Earlier, one had to face complex rules to withdraw PF money after leaving the job, but now it is not so. According to the new rules, you can withdraw 75 percent of your PF balance immediately after leaving the job. This includes the contribution of both the employee and the employer and the interest received on it. This change is a big relief for those people who need immediate money to meet household expenses.

However, there is one important thing to note here. You will not be able to withdraw your entire money at once. To withdraw the remaining 25 percent amount, you will have to wait for completion of 12 months of unemployment. The government argues that this rule has been made so that some of your accumulated capital remains safe for retirement and the entire fund does not get emptied at once. At the same time, eligibility for full withdrawal technically becomes available only after at least 2 months of unemployment.

Now you will have to wait a long time for pension money

While relief has been given in PF withdrawal, pension rules have been made a little stricter so that old age security is maintained. Now you will have to wait for a period of unemployment of 36 months (3 years) to withdraw the amount deposited under the Employee Pension Scheme (EPS). Earlier this time limit was only 2 months. Experts believe that this step of EPFO ​​has been taken to provide long-term social security to the members, so that pension benefits can be ensured in future.

Additionally, the withdrawal categories have now been simplified to just three categories: essential needs (such as illness or children’s education), housing needs, and special circumstances.

How to claim from home

The entire process of PF withdrawal is now online. If your Universal Account Number (UAN) is active and KYC is complete, then the money can come to your account in 3 to 5 working days.

To make a claim, first of all you have to go to the unified portal of EPFO. After logging in with UAN and password, you will have to go to the ‘Online Services’ tab and select ‘Claim (Form-31)’ option. After this, verify by entering the last 4 digits of your bank account. Select the reason for claim ‘Unemployment’ and fill the amount as per your requirement. For this you do not need the signature of any officer, just a self-declaration is enough. Finally submit the form through Aadhaar OTP. If your service is less than 5 years, do not forget to submit Form 15G/15H to avoid TDS.