The Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has extended the deadline for higher Provident Fund (PF) pension for members till July 11, an official release stated.

The release said, "The last opportunity of 15 days is being given to remove any difficulty faced by the eligible pensioners/members. Accordingly, the last date for submission of Applications for Validation of Option/Joint Options by employees is extended to July 11, 2023.”

An online facility has been made available by EPFO for submitting Applications for Validation of Options/Joint Options for pension on higher wages.

"The facility is for eligible pensioners/members in compliance with the Hon'ble Supreme Court order dated November 4, 2022. The facility was launched on February 26, 2023, and was to remain available only till May 3, 2023," the release read.

"However, considering the representations of the employees, the time limit was extended to June 26, 2023, in order to provide a complete four months' time to eligible pensioners/members for filing applications. A total of 16.66 lakh Applications for Validation of Option / Joint Options have been received till June 26," it further added.

According to the Ministry of Labour & Employment, any eligible pensioner/member who on account of any issue in the updation of KYC, faces difficulty in submitting an online Application for Validation of Option / Joint Option, may immediately lodge such grievance on EPFiGMS for resolution. The grievance may please be submitted by selecting the grievance category of ' Higher Pensionary benefits on higher wages'. "This will ensure a proper record of such a grievance for further action," the ministry said in the release.

Meanwhile, many representations have been received from Employers & Employers' Associations wherein requests have been made to extend the time period for uploading wage details of applicant pensioners/members.
The request has been considered sympathetically and the employers are being given a further period of three months to submit wage details etc., online latest by September 30, 2023, it said.