Top News

Employees Provident Fund Organization (EFPO) has extended by 3 months the last date for employers to submit details of the salary and allowances of employees choosing the Higher Pension Option. The deadline for validating the joint form to opt for a higher pension was ending on 30 September. Now employers i.e. companies will be able to submit the details of salary and allowances of employees till 31st December.

The Labor Ministry has said in a statement that employers and employer unions had appealed to the ministry to extend the deadline for uploading the salary details of applicant pensioners/members. For verification of salary and allowances, 5.52 lakh applications are pending with the employers till September 29, 2023. The Ministry said that after considering this request, the EPFO Board Chairman has extended the deadline for employers to submit salary details, etc. till December 31, 2023.

This is the case
In March 1996, a provision was added to paragraph 11(3) of EPS-95. In this, EPFO members were allowed to increase their pension contribution by 8.33% of their full salary (Basic + Dearness Allowance). That means they were given a chance to get more pensions. EPFO had given only six months to the employees to file the Joint Option Form for higher pension contributions. Many employees were not able to file the joint option form during this period. He reached the Supreme Court. In one of its decisions, the Supreme Court had ordered the government to allow these employees to file the joint option form.

The Supreme Court's decision came in November 2022
Earlier, the Supreme Court had said in its order on November 4, 2022, that EPFO will have to give four months to all the eligible members to choose the option of a higher pension. This four-month period ended on March 3, 2023. Since then this deadline has been extended.
PC Social media