The Employees Provident Fund Organisation has extended the last date to apply for a higher EPS pension by 15 days. Eligible members can now apply for higher pensions till July 11, 2027. The last date for employers has also been extended.

With the extension, the EPFO has provided the last opportunity for employees to submit options within fifteen days to get a pension on higher wages. Employers have been given three months’ time for uploading wage details online.

“Last opportunity of 15 days is being given to remove any difficulty faced by the eligible pensioners/ members. Accordingly, the last date for submission of Applications for Validation of Option / Joint Options by employees is extended to 11.07.2023,” the EPFO said.

The EPFO has provided an online facility for submitting Applications for Validation of Option/Joint Options for pension on higher wages. The facility is for eligible pensioners/members in compliance with the Supreme Court order dated 04.11.2022.

Also Read: How to use EPFO Higher Pension Calculator and how it will help EPS members

“This extension of 15 days is the last opportunity being provided to eligible pensioners. The EPFO has also provided further relief to employers by extending the deadline for uploading wage details of applicant pensioners by 3 months (i.e., September 30, 2023),” said Vaibhav Bhardwaj, Partner, INDUSLAW.

“Further, in case any eligible pensioner faces difficulties in submitting the online application on account of any issue in the updation of KYC, such pensioner can lodge a grievance in the EPFiGMS (the customised portal of the EPFO for redressal of grievances), under the category ‘Higher Pensionary benefits on higher wages’. It is certainly a beneficial step taken by the EPFO to mitigate the difficulties that pensioners were facing,” he added.

EPFO launched the online facility on 26.02.2023. It was scheduled to remain available only till 03.05.2023. However, after considering the representations of the employees, the time limit was extended to 26.06.2023 in order to provide a complete four months’ time to eligible pensioners/members for filing applications.

As per EPFO data, as many as 16.06 lakh Applications for Validation of Option/Joint Options were received till 26.06.2023.

The EPFO said that any eligible pensioner/member who on account of any issue in the updation of KYC, faces difficulty in submitting an online Application for Validation of Option/Joint Option, may immediately lodge such grievance on EPFiGMS for resolution.

“The grievance may please be submitted by selecting the grievance category of ‘ Higher Pensionary benefits on higher wages’. This will ensure proper record of such a grievance for further action,” EPFO said.

Last date for Employers

The EPFO said it received many representations from Employers & Employers’ Associations wherein requests were made to extend the time period for uploading wage details of applicant pensioners/members.

“The request has been considered sympathetically and the employers are being given a further period of three months to submit wage details etc. online latest by 30.09.2023,” EPFO said.

Meanwhile, EPFO on Monday (June 26) released an Excel-based higher pension calculator that eligible members can use to estimate the dues they will have to pay for higher pension (Know how to use). The EPFO also released FAQs related to higher pension under EPS.