EPFO Interest Rate Cut: Crores of Employees May Get a Shock!

The Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) is considering a reduction in the interest rate on Provident Fund (PF) deposits for FY 2024-25. The Central Board of Trustees (CBT) is set to discuss this matter in a meeting this Friday.

Why is EPFO Planning to Cut Interest Rates?

🔹 Market Conditions: Due to a decline in bond yields and increased claim settlements, EPFO may lower the interest rate to maintain a financial surplus.
🔹 Surplus Management: The trustees want to maintain reserves for emergencies, which might lead to a lower interest rate than last year.
🔹 Rising PF Claims: Over 5.08 million claims worth ₹2.05 trillion have already been settled in FY 2024-25, compared to 44.5 million claims worth ₹1.82 trillion in FY 2023-24.

Last Year’s Interest Rate & Upcoming Decision

✔ 2022-23: The interest rate was increased from 8.15% to 8.25%.
✔ 2024-25: The new interest rate decision will be taken on Friday during the CBT meeting.

Other Key Issues to Be Discussed

📌 Higher Pension Applications: 70% of the applications received for higher pension after the Supreme Court’s 2022 ruling have been processed.
📌 Insurance Benefits Update: The board will discuss increasing benefits for dependent family members under EPFO’s insurance scheme.
📌 Centralized Pension Payment System: A review will be conducted on the new system that enables pension distribution across all banks nationwide.

What This Means for EPFO Members

If the interest rate is reduced, the retirement savings of over 300 million EPF subscribers will be impacted. However, the move is aimed at ensuring fund stability and handling growing financial demands.

📌 Stay updated for the official interest rate announcement this Friday!