EPFO on WhatsApp: Check PF Balance and Passbook as Small Old Accounts Get Paid Automatically

EPFO added two new services on 1 November 2026, its 74th Foundation Day: PF services on WhatsApp, and automatic settlement of small inoperative PF accounts. Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya launched the services in New Delhi, according to the Press Information Bureau release of 31 October 2026 cited by tldr.money, and reported by Mint Affairs on 1 November. For crores of salaried workers, this is the first time EPFO has moved routine PF checks onto a messaging app, and the first time some long-forgotten PF balances will be paid out without a claim form.

The WhatsApp services are for information, not transactions. Mint Affairs reports that members can check their PF balance, passbook details and last five transactions on WhatsApp, and get help completing PM Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana requirements, while withdrawals and transfers are not available on WhatsApp. However, tldr.money notes that when it wrote on 1 November, EPFO had not yet published the full list of WhatsApp services or the number to use, so treat any list of features or numbers forwarded to you as unconfirmed until EPFO publishes them on epfindia.gov.in or its verified channels. Never share your UAN password, OTP or bank details with an unverified account.

The automatic settlement covers eligible inoperative EPF accounts with balances up to Rs 1,000, paid straight to the member's Aadhaar-seeded bank account with no claim needed. The pilot was approved by EPFO's Central Board of Trustees at its 239th meeting on 2 March 2026. According to PIB figures cited by tldr.money, the first phase covers about 1.33 lakh accounts holding about Rs 5.68 crore, while Mint Affairs reports the first-phase figure as about 1 lakh accounts worth about Rs 5 crore, so the exact first-phase count varies slightly between reports.

Not every old PF account qualifies. An account counts as inoperative under EPF rules when there has been no contribution for three continuous years after the member retires, at age 55 or later, or migrates abroad permanently, as PIB explained in March 2026. That mostly means older members, not every old account from a previous job. If you are younger and have an old account with a previous employer, check it on the member portal and transfer it to your current account instead of waiting for an automatic payout.

Before anything else, make sure your own details are in order. Your UAN must be activated, the mobile number linked to it must be current, your Aadhaar must be seeded with matching name and date of birth, and the bank account in your KYC must be active, because the auto-payout goes to an Aadhaar-seeded bank account and a closed account means a failed payout. The same meeting that approved the pilot also recommended keeping the EPF interest rate at 8.25% for FY 2025-26, as reported by tldr.money, and the wage ceiling for mandatory EPF coverage was raised from Rs 15,000 to Rs 25,000 a month from 17 September 2026.

Two bigger proposals are still only proposals. EPFO's board may discuss raising the EPS minimum pension, which has been Rs 1,000 a month since 2014, and a plan to invest up to 3% of fresh inflows in alternative investment funds, at its meeting on 19 November 2026, but neither has been approved, according to both tldr.money and Business Standard reports cited there. For now, check your UAN and KYC on the member portal, and if you want to see your balance first, our guide explains how to check your PF balance step by step.