VISHWAS, 2026 was notified vide Notification No. G.S.R. 525(E), dated 29 June, 2026, by Ministry of Labor & Employment under the new EPF Scheme, 2026 (Code on Social Security, 2020) and shall come into force on the same date. It's a one-time window for employers to settle old PF damages disputes under Section 14B (now Section 128 of the Code) at sharply reduced rates, covering defaults from before 14 June 2024. Applications are open till 28 December 2026, six months from notification, and EPFO has said this deadline won't be extended.

Key Highlights

A one-time scheme to close pending PF penalty disputes at a fraction of the normal cost, instead of prolonged litigation.
Normal penalty can run up to 37% a year. Under VISHWAS, it's just 0.25%/month (up to 2 months delay), 0.50%/month (2–4 months), and 1%/month (beyond 4 months).
Eligible cases include those pending in court/tribunal, penalty orders with pending recovery, show-cause notices without a final order, or unnoticed payment delays on record — all for defaults before 14 June 2024.
Bombay, Madras, and Kerala High Courts have already directed employers in pending cases to settle under this scheme.
Outstanding interest must be cleared before applying.
The entire process is online via the EPFO Employer Portal, with the system auto-calculating the discounted penalty after document upload and digital authentication.
Employers get 15 days to pay (extendable by 15 more), after which EPFO issues a digital Settlement Certificate and closes related proceedings.

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EPFO VISHWAS Scheme 2026 Guidelines for Employers Settle PF Penalty Disputes