Higher Pension: In compliance with the order of the Supreme Court dated 4 November 2022, this facility was introduced for eligible pensioners or members on 26 February 2023. It was to be made available by 3 May 2023.
EPFO Update: Retirement fund body EPFO has extended the time limit for employers to upload salary related information etc. till January 31, 2025. This time limit is for 3.1 lakh applications which are pending for pension on higher salary. A statement from the Labor Ministry said that online facility has been provided by EPFO to submit applications for verification of joint options for pension on higher salary.
17.49 lakh applications received from pensioners till 11 July 2023
In compliance with the Supreme Court order of November 4, 2022, this facility was introduced for eligible pensioners or members on 26 February 2023. It was to be made available by 3 May 2023. However, considering the representation of the employees, the time limit has been extended to 26 June 2023 to give eligible pensioners / members four months’ time to file the application. They were also given an additional 15 days to remove any difficulty. This made the last date for submission of applications 11 July 2023 and till this date 17.49 lakh applications were received from pensioners.
More than 3.1 lakh applications still pending with employers
However, even after this, on the request of employers and employer associations to extend the time to ‘upload’ the salary details, the deadline for submitting salary details etc. online was first extended to 30 September 2023, then to 31 December 2023 and then to 31 May 2024. Despite such a long extension, it was observed that more than 3.1 lakh applications for verification of combined options are still pending with the employers.
The ministry said, therefore, employers are now being given a ‘last chance’ till 31 January 2025 so that they can settle these pending applications and ‘upload’ them soon. Employers were also requested to submit their replies and update the information in more than 4.66 lakh cases by 15 January 2025. Where the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has sought additional information regarding the application received and examined by it.
