The Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has issued a new circular detailing how members can apply for validation of joint options and higher pensions. It also contains the procedure for scrutinising wage details and information submitted by the worker and the employer. May 3 has been set as the deadline to apply for a higher pension.
As per the circular, issued on April 23, EPFO has stated that the field office will examine the applications for joint options and higher pensions. If the requirements are complete, the information submitted by the employers will be verified by the field office.
The EPFO has also set up an online system to receive applications from employees who retired on or before September 1, 2014. The online system will be valid till May 3.
A grievance redressal mechanism has also been provided by the EPFO. Any complaint by the applicant can be submitted on the EPFO’s grievance management system – EPFIGMS (EPF i-Grievance Management System). The grievance shall be registered, with reference to the Supreme Court judgement dated November 4, 2022, under the specified category of higher pension. According to the EPFO, all such complaints shall be disposed of at the level of the Nominated Officer,
If the details do not match, the Assistant Provident Fund Commissioner (APFC) /Regional Provident Fund Commissioner (RPFC)-II will seek details from the employers under intimation to the pensioners within one month. Then if it receives the complete information, the organisation will process the dues accordingly. If the details are not received, the order will be passed on merit.
“The cases where FO details and employers’ details match, the dues will be calculated and an order will be passed by APFC/RPFC-II/ RPFC-I for depositing/transferring the dues. The cases where there is a mismatch, the same will be informed to the employer and the employee/pensioner by APFC/ RPFC-II. They will be given a time of one month to complete the information,” the EPFO said in its circular.
If the application for higher pension/joint options is not approved for any reason, the employer will be given a chance to provide additional information or correct any details, including those made by the pensioners. The window will remain operational for one month.
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