The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) settled nearly half of all claims filed this fiscal within just three days, significantly speeding up service delivery, a senior official said on Wednesday. The official attributed the acceleration to automation and said further gains are expected as the upper limit for automated settlement is set to be raised to Rs 5 lakh.As of June 5, 2025, EPFO had processed 68.96 lakh claims—mostly related to partial withdrawals—within three days of filing. This represents close to 50% of the total claims filed in the period from April 1 to June 5, PTI reported. For the entire fiscal year 2024–25, EPFO has so far processed 2.34 crore claims, with approximately 39% being resolved within the three-day window.Currently, withdrawal claims of up to Rs 1 lakh for reasons such as illness, education, housing, and marriage are eligible for automated processing, provided all requirements are met. The official confirmed that the EPFO is preparing to enhance this limit to Rs 5 lakh, a change that does not require approval from the Central Board of Trustees (CBT), the body’s top decision-making authority.The move will be executed through a directive from the Central Provident Fund Commissioner, the EPFO’s administrative head. The CBT is chaired by the Union Labour and Employment Minister and includes representatives from trade unions and employers.EPFO has a long-term goal to settle all claims—including pension pay-outs, group insurance, and full provident fund withdrawals—within 72 hours of receipt. However, the official acknowledged that the verification of legacy data, especially for members enrolled before 2012, remains a bottleneck and often delays claim processing.With over 7 crore contributing members and more than 5 crore claims filed in FY25 so far, the shift to automation is expected to significantly reduce the workload and enhance the timeliness and efficiency of EPFO’s services.