**You can now withdraw your entire PF balance anytime**
*By Dwaipayan Roy | Oct 13, 2025, 07:55 pm*
The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has taken a significant step to enhance the ease of living for its members. In a major decision, the EPFO’s Central Board of Trustees (CBT) has approved allowing members to withdraw up to 100% of their eligible Provident Fund (PF) balance. This withdrawal includes both the employee and employer contributions.
### Key Decision Announced at 238th CBT Meeting
The decision was made during the 238th meeting of the CBT held in New Delhi, chaired by Union Minister for Labour and Employment, Mansukh Mandaviya. This move is set to bring greater flexibility and convenience for EPFO members in managing their PF accounts.
### Major Changes in PF Withdrawal Rules
Previously, full withdrawal from the PF account was only permitted in cases of unemployment or retirement. Under the new liberalized rules, members can now access their entire eligible PF balance, subject to certain conditions and specific categories.
In addition to this, the CBT has simplified the existing partial withdrawal provisions. Earlier, there were 13 complex rules governing partial withdrawals, which have now been consolidated into a single, streamlined rule divided into three categories:
– Essential needs (such as illness, education, and marriage)
– Housing needs
– Special circumstances
### Increased Flexibility for Education and Marriage Withdrawals
The new rules also increase the limits on withdrawals for education and marriage expenses. Withdrawals for education purposes can now be made up to 10 times, while those for marriage can be done up to 5 times.
Moreover, the minimum service requirement to be eligible for all partial withdrawals has been uniformly reduced to just 12 months. This is a significant relaxation compared to the previous norms, where members had to justify their withdrawal reasons under “Special Circumstances,” often resulting in claim rejections.
### Member Benefits: Minimum Balance and Auto-Settlement of Claims
To ensure members continue to benefit from the high interest rates offered by EPFO (currently 8.25% per annum), the CBT has introduced a new rule requiring a ‘Minimum Balance’ of 25% of contributions to be maintained in the PF account at all times. This provision helps preserve the compounding benefits and aids in building a substantial retirement corpus.
The board has also announced a move towards greater automation, eliminating the need for any documentation for partial withdrawal claims. This paves the way for 100% auto settlement of claims, making the process faster and hassle-free for members.
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This landmark decision by the EPFO is expected to bring greater financial flexibility to millions of PF members across India, enabling them to access their funds effortlessly when needed.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/business/epfo-members-can-now-withdraw-entire-balance/story
