EPFO Higher Pension Scheme: Deadline for these EPS members to apply for higher pension Extended till May 3

The Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has extended until May 3, 2023 the deadline for certain eligible members to apply for increased pensions under the EPS. Employees who were EPF members on September 1, 2014, and continued to be EPF members on or after September 1, 2014, but missed the opportunity to apply for a higher pension before the earlier deadline expired, have until May 3, 2023, to apply for a higher pension. Employees who retired prior to September 1, 2014 and chose a higher pension under the pension scheme but had their application rejected by the EPFO must submit their application form on or before March 3, 2023. This is because no extension has been granted to such employees.

In its decision dated November 4, 2022, the Supreme Court gave applicants four months to apply for a higher pension under EPS. As a result, the Supreme Court established March 3, 2023 as the deadline for applying for a higher pension under EPS. EPFO has now extended the Supreme Court's November 2022 deadline for filing higher pension applications to 3 May 2023. This extension will give employees more time to consider whether or not to opt for a higher pension. Online filing links for such higher pension applications have also been enabled on the EPFO portal; all that is required is to upload a copy of the permission obtained under Section 26(6) of the EPF Scheme, which allows the EPFO to approve contributions to EPF on higher salary.

Though EPFO has extended the deadline for submitting an application for a higher pension under EPS from March 3, 2023 to May 3, 2023 (for certain EPS members), no circular/notification has been issued by the retirement fund body as of the time of publication. According to the EPFO's Member's e-Sewa portal, the deadline for applying for a higher pension under EPS is May 3, 2023. The EPFO, on the other hand, issued guidelines on the subject on February 20, 2023, just 12 days before the Supreme Court-mandated deadline expired. The deadline needed to be extended because employees who wanted to apply needed time to gather the various documents required to apply for the higher pension under the EPS.