New Delhi, May 1 -- It's not just death that makes withdrawals from the Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) tough-sometimes, even the living struggle. But when a member dies without naming a nominee, the fallout can be far worse: delayed payouts, bitter family disputes, and endless paperwork.

Take the case of a man who died in his thirties without naming a nominee. He was married, but his wife is estranged from his parents. After his death, both sides filed claims for the provident fund and pension. "The employer says they will process the payment in favour of the wife, but we are trying to get the parents an equal share," said Mohammed Saif, a provident fund (PF) expert at FinRight, a startup focused on EPF issues.

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