EPFO Launches VISHWAS 2026 Scheme
One-time initiative aims to settle damages and penalty disputes through a fully digital process
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 17th July: The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has launched VISHWAS 2026, a one-time dispute resolution scheme to facilitate the amicable settlement of disputes related to damages and penalties under the Employees’ Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952, and the Code on Social Security, 2020.
The scheme, notified on June 29, 2026, came into effect the same day and will remain open for six months. It aims to encourage voluntary compliance, reduce litigation and ensure faster resolution of long-pending disputes while protecting employees’ interests.
Under the scheme, employers can settle eligible cases through a transparent, fully digital and time-bound process. It covers cases pending before judicial forums, recovery proceedings, matters where notices have been issued but final orders are pending, and cases where notices are yet to be issued.
EPFO said damages and penalties for defaults before June 14, 2024, will be recalculated at concessional rates to encourage early settlement. Employers must, however, clear the entire statutory interest payable before applying and submit an undertaking not to pursue further appeals in settled cases.
The scheme excludes cases where damages or penalties have already been fully recovered, matters involving fraud, misappropriation or deliberate falsification of records, and cases where statutory interest has not been fully deposited.
Applications can be submitted online through the EPFO Employer Portal using a Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) or e-Sign. Dedicated VISHWAS Cells have been set up across EPFO field offices to assist employers and ensure timely processing of applications.
EPFO has urged eligible employers to utilise the one-time opportunity to resolve pending disputes, regularise compliance and support a more efficient and litigation-free social security system.
