EPFO solely final week got here out with the process for choosing greater pension underneath the EPS. (File)
New Delhi:
The Staff’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) on Monday set Might 3 because the deadline for subscribers to go for the next pension.
The Supreme Courtroom 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 direction of pension.
The Supreme Courtroom 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 underneath the Staff’ Pension Scheme (EPS).
“The joint possibility 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 possibility underneath the Staff’ Pension Scheme can accomplish that now on or earlier than Might 3, 2023,” the EPFO mentioned on its web site.
At current, each staff 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 staff don’t contribute to the pension scheme.
EPFO mentioned, “on-line facility for submitting joint possibility 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 underneath the Staff’ Pension Scheme (EPS).
In November 2022, the Supreme Courtroom upheld the Staff’ 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 direction of EPS.
In an workplace order, the EPFO had offered for coping with the ”Joint Possibility Kind” by subject workplaces of the physique. EPFO said that “a facility can be offered for which URL (distinctive useful resource location) can be knowledgeable shortly. As soon as obtained, the regional PF commissioner shall put an ample 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 said that the workplace in-charge of the regional provident fund workplace involved shall study every case of joint possibility on greater wage and intimate the choice to the applicant by means of e-mail/submit and later by means of SMS additionally.
It additionally offered that any grievance by the applicant could be registered on EPFiGMS (grievance portal) after submission of his/her joint possibility kind and fee of due contributions, if any.
The order said that these instructions are being issued in compliance with the order of Supreme Courtroom on November 4, 2022. EPFO has requested its subject workplaces to offer an possibility for greater pension to eligible subscribers in accordance with the Supreme Courtroom 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 Courtroom had given all EPS members, as on September 1, 2014, six months to go for the amended scheme.
The Supreme Courtroom in its order gave 4 extra months to eligible subscribers to go for greater pension underneath EPS-95.
The court docket 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 can facilitate the subscribers to contribute greater to the scheme and get enhanced advantages accordingly.
The EPFO round had additionally offered for the upper pension possibility 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 possibility 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 kind prescribed by the commissioner and all different required paperwork like joint declaration and many others.
(Aside from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is printed from a syndicated feed.)
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