PF higher pension | Employers likely to get another extension to validate joint forms

EPFO likely to extend deadline for employers to validate joint options for higher PF pension by 3 months. Employers cite technical delays and issues accessing employment details of applicants. Union Labour Ministry considering requests and likely to take lenient view

The Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) is likely to give yet another extension to the employers to validate the joint options of employees for higher provident fund pension. The last date for submitting the validated applications is on September 30.

Employers are learnt to have approached the Union Labour Ministry demanding yet another extension citing technical delays in the EPFO website and issues in accessing employment details of the applicants.

A source in the Ministry indicated that extension of another three months is likely. The source indicated that the Ministry is considering the requests of employers and will take a lenient view. The last date for submitting the joint options for employees ended on July 11.

The EPFO had opened the online facility to submit joint options on February 26, 2023 as part of implementing a Supreme Court verdict on higher PF pension. The time to submit the joint options was supposed to end on May 3. Later, trade unions and representatives of employers had approached Union Labour Minister Bhupender Yadav requesting him to extend the time limit. It was extended to June 26 and again to July 11 to employees and three more months till September 30 to employers. The EPFO had said it received a huge number of applications for validation of option/joint options.