New Delhi, Aug. 1 -- Employees who resign without another job offer often turn to their Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) balance as a temporary financial cushion. Under the old EPF Scheme, 1952, a member who remained unemployed for two months after leaving service could withdraw the entire provident fund balance, and lakhs of employees used the provision that way between jobs.

That rule has now changed under the EPF Scheme, 2026. Full withdrawal is no longer permitted after two months of unemployment, making it important for individuals to understand how much of their PF corpus can be accessed immediately, what becomes available after a few months without a job and which portion remains invested until a specified timeline set by EPFO.

Un...