IT Correspondent
Mumbai, Nov. 7:
In view of the corona virus induced prolonged lock down, the Employees Provident Fund Organization(EPFO) has proactively partnered with Common Service Centre( CSC) to provide facilities to enable EPS pensioners to submit digital Jeevan Pramaan Patra (JPP) as per their convenience, in Goa.
The initiative, which has began in Goa, is expected to be implemented through out the country soon. EPFO desires that all the pensioners should stay safe and stay at home in the prevailing pandemic situation. As such as part of this initiative, the post offices have also started collection of Digital JPPs. A multi- agency model adopted by EPFO empowers EPS pensioners with choice and autonomy to select the service delivery agency as per their convenience, official sources here said.
In this regard, a key policy change has been brought by EPFO to allow EPS pensioners to submit their digital PPPs at any time during the year as per their convenience and not just during the months of November and December. The Life Certificate will remain valid for one year from the date of submission. For example, the digital Life Certificate submitted in November/ December 2019 is valid for release of monthly pension for one year i.e up to November / December 2020, respectively. This pro -pensioner step has been taken to provide hassle-free social security cover to EPS pensioners.
EPS Pensioners are requested to avoid visiting PF Offices and instead submit Aadhar based biometric digital Life Certificates at respective bank branches, nearest Post Offices or at CSCs. The pensioners only need to carry their mobile, bank pass book, pension payment order number and Aadhar number. They can also avail this service by contacting their local postman/ nearest post office. There are 254 post offices and 100 CSCs all over Goa providing services for JPPs. Therefore, EPFO has advised the pensioners to visit their pension disbursing banks, nearest post offices, CSCs to submit the digital Life Certificates/JPPs, in this COVID-19 Pandemic situation.
EPF Pension which is technically known as Employees’ Pension Scheme (EPS), is a social security scheme provided by the EPFO. The scheme makes provisions for employees working in the organized sector for a pension after their retirement at the age of 58 years. However, the benefits of the scheme can be availed only if the employee has completed service for at least 10 years (this need not have to be continuous service). EPS was launched in 1995 and allowed existing and new EPF members to join the scheme.
All eligible members of EPFO can avail pension benefits as per their age from when they began withdrawing the pension. The pension amount differs from case to case. For example: 1) Pension on retirement at the age of 58 years : It is mandatory for the pensioner to provide service for a period of at least 10 years when he turns 58 for availing pension benefits. An EPS certificate is generated which can be used to fill Form 10D for withdrawing the monthly pension.
2) Pension on leaving service before becoming eligible for monthly pension: In case a member is not able to remain in service for 10 years before attaining the age of 58 years, he can withdraw the complete sum at the age of 58 years by filling form 10C.It is worth mentioning here that he will not get the monthly pension benefits after retirement.
3) Pension on total disablement during the service: A member of the EPFO, who becomes disabled totally and permanently, is entitled to a monthly pension irrespective of the fact that he has not served the pensionable service period. His employer has to deposit funds in his EPS account for at least one month to be eligible for the pension. The member becomes eligible for the monthly pension from the date of permanent disablement and is payable for his lifetime. However, the member may have to undergo a medical examination to check whether he is unfit for the job that he was doing before becoming disabled.
