The Central Board of Trustees (CBT) of the Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) held a meeting in New Delhi on Monday, chaired by Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.
During the meeting, the minister said that the proposal to increase the minimum PF pension is under active consideration at the Cabinet level.
Although the issue was not listed on the agenda, representatives from labour organizations demanded that the minimum PF pension be increased by ₹1,000 per month.
Cabinet Considering Pension Hike and Delay Issues
According to The Hindu, after the meeting, one of the members stated that the minister confirmed the Cabinet was actively reviewing the proposal. The meeting also discussed delays in providing higher pensions.
Several members said that EPFO’s current guidelines were not in line with High Court and Supreme Court directives.
They requested that the old guidelines be withdrawn and a new system be implemented according to the Supreme Court’s order. However, one member noted that the government’s response on this matter was “not positive.”
Simplified Rules for EPF Withdrawals
The Labour Ministry announced that the rules for partial withdrawals from the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) have been simplified. Earlier, there were 13 complicated provisions, which have now been reduced to just three categories:
Essential needs (illness, education, marriage)
Housing needs
Special circumstances
Under the new rules, members can now withdraw up to 100% of their total balance (including both employee and employer contributions).
Withdrawals for education are allowed up to 10 times, and for marriage up to 5 times (previously, the combined limit for both was only 3 times).
The minimum service period required for all partial withdrawals has also been reduced to 12 months.
Launch of ‘Vishwas Yojana’ and New Facility for Pensioners
The CBT has also approved the launch of the Vishwas Yojana, which aims to reduce court cases related to penalties for delayed PF payments. The Labour Ministry said that a large number of such cases are currently pending in various courts.
Additionally, the meeting approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the India Post Payments Bank (IPPB).
Under this agreement, EPS-95 pensioners will be able to get a Digital Life Certificate (DLC) service right at their doorstep. The cost of ₹50 per certificate will be fully paid by the EPFO.
