EPFO to Speed Up Higher Pension Applications by Year-End

The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) is planning to fast-track the process of giving pensions based on higher wages. This move comes after a Supreme Court directive and aims to benefit lakhs of retired employees who have applied for a higher pension under the EPF scheme.

Dedicated Regional Offices and Extra Support

To speed up the process, the EPFO will assign 10-15 regional offices to work only on these applications. It will also bring in extra staff, legal experts, and firms empanelled with the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) to help complete the work. According to a senior government official, the existing staff may not be enough to manage the large number of applications.

Focus on Government and Unexempted Firms

The EPFO will give priority to public sector units and unexempted companies where the money for higher pensions has already been deposited. A special task force may also be formed to investigate legal issues that may arise as more applications are processed.

Progress So Far

Out of the 7.8 million pensioners under the EPFO scheme, 1.75 million have applied for a higher pension. So far, more than 34,500 pension payment orders (PPOs) have been issued, with another 19,000 in progress.

Concerns Over Rejections by EPFO

Although the labour ministry has not shared the number of rejections, it is believed that over 500,000 applications have been turned down. This has caused concern among both employers and employee representatives. They are now asking the EPFO to review these rejected applications so that eligible people do not miss out on higher pensions.

Conclusion

The EPFO is taking major steps to ensure that eligible pensioners get the higher pension they deserve. By increasing manpower and focusing on pending cases, the organisation hopes to clear all eligible applications by the end of 2025.

Read more on: EPFO To Raise Auto-Settlement Cap To ₹5 Lakh

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