The government revealed in Rajya Sabha on Thursday (July 23, 2026) that as much as Rs 9,330.56 crore is lying in the inoperative Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) accounts as of March 31, 2026. R Girirajan, member of Parliament, on Thursday asked about the total unclaimed amount in the EPF and other pension accounts and what the government is doing in this regard. Replying to the query, Shobha Karandlaje, Minister of State for Labour and Employment, said that as on March 31, 2026, the total amount lying in the inoperative EPF accounts is Rs 9,330.56 crore. Karandlaje said that the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has undertaken outreach and awareness initiatives through social media platforms and Nidhi Aapke Nikat (NAN) 2.0 camps to disseminate information among employers and employees regarding EPF services and Inoperative accounts. A Rs 9,330.56 crore fund lying in inoperative accounts mean there is a large number of workers who are yet to claim their EPF fund. If you have also one of them, you can also claim the inoperative EPF fund. What is an inoperative EPF account? As per the EPFO website, an account is classified as an inoperative account in which contribution has not been received for three years after retirement or permanent migration abroad or in case of death. At present, all accounts will earn interest up to 58 years age of a member. Two categories on inoperative EPF accounts All the inoperative accounts that do not fall in the category of transaction -less accounts are governed as below: 1. Inoperative accounts that do not have UAN 2. Inoperative accounts that already have a UAN Will my inoperative account earn interest? No. However, at present, all accounts will earn interest up to 58 years age of a member, as per the EPFO website. What should I do if my account becomes inoperative? If you are still working in an establishment covered under the EPF & MP Act, 1952, you should get the amount transferred into your new account either by online or offline mode. If you have retired, you may withdraw the amount, as per the EPFO instructions. Minister explains how EPS pension accounts works Explaining how the pooled pension account works, Karandlaje said that pension fund under the Employees' Pension Scheme (EPS), 2026, is a pooled fund into which contributions from employers and the central government are received. “The benefits are paid out of the fund when a member/family becomes eligible. There is no time limit for filing a claim for getting due benefits. Pension/withdrawal benefit under EPS is released along with due arrears, whenever claims are received and settled,” says Karandlaje.