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The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has extended the deadline for employers to upload pending wage details for pension applications until January 31, 2025. This decision comes after multiple requests from employers and associations seeking additional time to process over 3.1 lakh pending applications for pensions on higher wages. Key Highlights

• Reason for Extension: Employers faced challenges in uploading wage details, prompting numerous representations to EPFO and the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
• Pending Applications: More than 3.1 lakh applications remain unprocessed, despite multiple deadline extensions throughout the year.
• Clarifications Required: In over 4.66 lakh cases, additional information has been sought from employers, with a response deadline of January 15, 2025.

• Launch: Online submission for higher pension options began on February 26, 2023, following a Supreme Court directive dated November 4, 2022.
• Initial Deadline: Submissions were accepted until May 3, 2023, which was later extended to June 26, 2023, and then to July 11, 2023.
• Subsequent Extensions: Deadlines were further pushed to September 30, 2023, December 31, 2023, and May 31, 2024.

• New Deadline: Employers now have until January 31, 2025, to process and upload all pending pension applications.
• Compliance Reminder: Employers must respond to additional clarifications requested by EPFO by January 15, 2025.
• Supreme Court Compliance: This extension ensures adherence to the Supreme Court’s ruling on higher pension options.

Employers are urged to use this final opportunity to fulfill their obligations and ensure that all applications are validated and processed within the stipulated timeframe. Failure to comply may lead to delays or legal implications under the Supreme Court directive.