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Issuing a fresh circular on the details submitted for higher pension, the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has provided instructions to all its field offices for scrutiny of information and wage details submitted by the employee and employer for higher pension.
The EPFO in a circular dated April 23 has stated that the applications and joint options for higher pension will be examined by the field offices. In case the submitted details match with the information with the field offices, the dues will be calculated and an order will be passed by officials for depositing/transferring the dues. In case of a mismatch, employees and employers will be given one month to provide complete information.
“Applications/Joint options will be examined by Field. In case the requirements are complete, the wage details submitted by the employers will be verified with the data available with the field offices. The cases where FO details and employers’ details match, the dues will be calculated and an order will be passed by APFC (additional provident fund commissioner)/RPFC(regional provident fund commissioner)-II/RPFC-I for depositing/transferring the dues. The cases where there is a mismatch, the same will be informed to the employer and the employee/pensioner by APFC/RPFC-II. They will be given a time of one month to complete the information,” the EPFO circular said.
In case submitted application form/joint option is not approved by the employer, before any rejection, an opportunity will be given to the employer for providing any additional proof or evidence or to correct any mistakes/errors (including those made by employees/pensioners). “Such opportunity will be for a period of one month and under intimation to the employees/pensioners,” it said.
In case submitted information is incomplete or erroneous, or any information in application/joint option needs correction request, APFC/RPFC-II will seek information from the employers under information to employees/pensioners within one month. If complete information is received, the case will be processed. However, if the complete information is not received then the APFC/RPFC-II/RPFC-I will pass the order on merit, the EPFO said.
Applicants can register any grievance related to higher pension applications on EPFiGMS after submission of the request form and payment of due contributions, if any, it said. “The registration of such grievances shall be under specified category of higher pension with reference to Supreme Court judgement dated 01.11.2022. All such grievances shall be monitored by the Office in-Charge of Regional Office and Zonal Office,” the EPFO said.
Many employees had raised concerns about difficulties being faced in submitting the joint option on the portal. The EPFO has extended the deadline to opt for higher pension to May 3 from the March deadline earlier.
The Supreme Court in a ruling on November 4 had upheld the amendments to the Employees’ Pension (Amendment) Scheme, 2014, implying another chance for employees who were existing EPS members as on September 1, 2014 to contribute up to 8.33 per cent of their ‘actual’ salaries — as against 8.33 per cent of the pensionable salary capped at Rs 15,000 a month — towards pension.
