May 3 Set As Last Date For EPFO Members To Opt For Higher Pension

New Delhi:

The Workers’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) on Monday set Might 3 because the deadline for subscribers to go for the next pension.

The Supreme Court docket on November 4 allowed one other change for workers who had been present EPS members as on September 1, 2024, to contribute as much as 8.33 per cent of their precise salaries – as in opposition to 8.33 per cent of pensionable wage capped at Rs 15,000 a month – in the direction of pension.

The Supreme Court docket gave a four-month window to allow choosing greater pensions. The deadline accordingly ought to have been round March 3, 2023, however the EPFO solely final week got here out with the process for choosing greater pension below the Workers’ Pension Scheme (EPS).

“The joint choice for workers who had been in service previous to September 1, 2014, and continued to be in service on or after September 1, 2014, however couldn’t train joint choice below the Workers’ Pension Scheme can accomplish that now on or earlier than Might 3, 2023,” the EPFO stated on its web site.

At current, each workers and employers contribute 12 per cent of the worker’s fundamental wage, dearness allowance and retaining allowance, if any, to the worker provident fund or EPF.

The worker’s total contribution goes to EPF, whereas the 12 per cent contribution by the employer is break up as 3.67 per cent to EPF and eight.33 per cent to EPS.

The Authorities of India contributes 1.16 per cent to an worker’s pension, whereas workers don’t contribute to the pension scheme.

EPFO stated, “on-line facility for submitting joint choice is coming quickly”.

Earlier, there have been apprehensions that March 3, 2023, is the final date for choosing the next pension.

Final week, EPFO got here out with a process to allow subscribers and their employers to collectively apply for the next pension below the Workers’ Pension Scheme (EPS).

In November 2022, the Supreme Court docket upheld the Workers’ Pension (Modification) Scheme 2014. The EPS modification of August 22, 2014, had raised the pensionable wage cap to Rs 15,000 a month from Rs 6,500 a month and allowed members together with their employers to contribute 8.33 per cent of their precise salaries (if it exceeded the cap) in the direction of EPS.

In an workplace order, the EPFO had offered for coping with the ”Joint Possibility Kind” by subject places of work of the physique. EPFO acknowledged that “a facility can be offered for which URL (distinctive useful resource location) can be knowledgeable shortly. As soon as acquired, the regional PF commissioner shall put an satisfactory discover on the discover board and banners for wider public data”.

It offered that every utility can be registered, digitally logged and the receipt quantity can be offered to the applicant. It additional acknowledged that the workplace in-charge of the regional provident fund workplace involved shall look at every case of joint choice on greater wage and intimate the choice to the applicant via e-mail/submit and later via SMS additionally.

It additionally offered that any grievance by the applicant will be registered on EPFiGMS (grievance portal) after submission of his/her joint choice type and cost of due contributions, if any.

The order acknowledged that these instructions are being issued in compliance with the order of Supreme Court docket on November 4, 2022. EPFO has requested its subject places of work to offer an choice for greater pension to eligible subscribers in accordance with the Supreme Court docket order.

In line with the EPFO round on December 29, 2022, the central authorities has directed to implement the instructions within the order. The Supreme Court docket had given all EPS members, as on September 1, 2014, six months to go for the amended scheme.

The Supreme Court docket in its order gave 4 extra months to eligible subscribers to go for greater pension below EPS-95.

The courtroom had additionally struck down the requirement within the 2014 amendments mandating worker contribution of 1.16 per cent of the wage exceeding Rs 15,000 per 30 days. This may facilitate the subscribers to contribute greater to the scheme and get enhanced advantages accordingly.

The EPFO round had additionally offered for the upper pension choice for these eligible subscribers who both contributed on precise wages greater than Rs 5,000 or Rs 6,500 per 30 days prevalent threshold pensionable wage or exercised their choice for greater pension or their request for greater pension was declined by EPFO authorities earlier than the modification to EPS-95 in 2014.

The eligible subscribers must apply collectively with their employer for the improved profit within the utility type prescribed by the commissioner and all different required paperwork like joint declaration and so forth.

(Apart from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is revealed from a syndicated feed.)