Employees' Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) can once again extend the last date for validating the filled joint form to give the employers an opportunity to choose a higher pension option for the employees. Is. As of now, the last date to validate the joint form to choose the option of a higher pension is 30th September. The original deadline to apply for a higher pension was March 3, which has been extended 4 times so far.
In March 1996, a provision was added to paragraph 11(3) of EPS-95. In this, EPFO members were allowed to increase their pension contribution by 8.33% of their full salary (Basic + Dearness Allowance). That means they were given a chance to get more pensions. EPFO had given only six months time to the employees to file the Joint Option Form for higher pension contributions. Many employees were not able to file the joint option form during this period. He reached the Supreme Court. In one of its decisions, the Supreme Court had ordered the government to give these employees an opportunity to file the joint option form.
Employers demanded to extension the deadline
According to a report in The Hindu, many employers have now demanded the Labor Ministry to extend the deadline for validating the joint option form. They say that they are facing technical problems with the EPFO website and difficulties in getting the employment details of the applicants and due to this they are not able to file the joint option form quickly. On the demand of employers, the government can once again extend the last date for filing the form by three months.
The Supreme Court's decision came in November 2022
Earlier, the Supreme Court had said in its order on November 4, 2022, that EPFO will have to give four months time to all the eligible members to choose the option of higher pension. This four-month period ended on March 3, 2023. Since then this deadline is being extended.
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