Higher EPS pension: Why do employees feel shortchanged?
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. NEW DELHI : Opting for a higher pension under the Employees' Pension Scheme (EPS) seems to have become a procedural nightmare for employees. Some people who applied for it after the Supreme Court order in November 2022 are still waiting for the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) to accept their applications.
Though, according to a 26 February statement, the EPFO aims to process all applications by 31 March 2025, employees continue to question the methodology for calculating the monthly pension. In August 2014, the Centre amended the Employees’ Pension Scheme, 1995. The amendment increased the cap on pensionable salary from ₹6,500 to ₹15,000 per month and restricted membership to the EPS to only those whose monthly salary on the date of joining was less than or equal to ₹15,000.
It required existing members for whom contributions were being made on a monthly salary above ₹6,500 to execute a fresh option jointly with their employer to contribute on the higher salary exceeding ₹15,000. Also, members exercising such fresh option were required to contribute additional contributions at 1.16% of the salary exceeding ₹15,000. More importantly, pension was to be determined on the basis of the average monthly salary drawn during 60 months preceding the date of the employee’s exit from the EPS membership.
The changes were to be effective from 1 September 2014. However, the amendment was struck down by the Kerala, Rajasthan and Delhi high courts, and the case ended up in the Supreme Court. The apex court upheld the amendment with certain riders.
Read on livemint.com