Higher EPS pension: 3.73 lakh applicants eligible, over 1.49 lakh PPOs issued

New Delhi: Of the 15.24 lakh applications submitted to the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) for higher pension following the Supreme Court's November 2022 order, 3.73 lakh applicants have been found eligible.

Of these, 1,49,806 retired applicants have received Pension Payment Orders (PPOs), the final step required for pension disbursal, according to the ministry.

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The applications were submitted by EPF members following the Supreme Court's November 4, 2022 judgment, which allowed eligible members to opt for a higher pension based on their actual salaries.

Of the 17.49 lakh applications received for higher pension under the Supreme Court ruling, employers did not forward 2.24 lakh applications to the EPFO.

A total of 15,24,365 joint options, which are required to be submitted jointly by employees and employers, were eventually forwarded for processing.

After various verifications by the EPFO, demand letters asking applicants to deposit the additional contribution required for the higher pension were issued in 4.31 lakh cases.

However, 58,113 applications were subsequently found ineligible, including cases where applicants failed to deposit the amount specified in the demand letters.

This left 3.73 lakh applicants eligible for higher pension, meaning roughly one in four of those who submitted joint options ultimately qualified.

The ministry said only 11,595 applications remain pending for disposal nationwide, including 1,251 from Kerala.

The country has around 85.84 lakh EPF members, according to the data provided by the Labour Ministry.