How to apply for higher pension on EPFO Portal

The retirement fund body has activated a link on the unified members' portal where EPFO subscribers seeking a higher pension can apply by May 3.

By Sunita On Mar 4, 2023 0

The Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) announced new guidelines for employees who want to opt for a higher pension earlier this week. As per the Employees’ Pension (Amendment) Scheme, 2014, the existing EPS members (as on September 1, 2014) along with their employers are allowed to contribute up to 8.33 per cent of their actual salaries – as against 8.33 per cent of pensionable salary capped at Rs 15,000 a month – towards pension.

The EPFO subscriber who want to apply for higher pension can do so on at a link on the unified members’ portal by May 3, 2023.

Here are the steps to apply for higher pension:

Go to the member e-Sewa portal and log in.
Click on the link “Pension on higher salary: Exercise of joint option on or before May 3, 2023”.
It will open a new page, which will have two options.
Click on the second one that says ‘Application form for joint options’
Now, select “Application form for joint options – Joint options under erstwhile para 11 (3) and para 11 (4) of EPS 1995 for employees who were in service prior to 1st September 2014 and continued to the in service on or after 01.09.2014 but could not exercise joint option under erstwhile provision to para 11 (3) of EPS 1995 to be exercised on or before 3rd May 2023.”
The page that will open will ask the user to enter details like UAN, Name, Date of birth, Aadhaar number, Aadhaar linked mobile number and correctly enter the captcha.
After filling the form, there will be an option to ‘Get OTP’, which will be received on mobile number linked with Aadhaar.

According to EPFO circular dated December 29, 2022, the central government has directed to implement the directions in the Supreme Court order. The court had given all EPS members, as on September 1, 2014, six months to opt for the amended scheme.

The court also gave the existing members of the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), who had not opted for enhanced pension coverage prior to 2014, another four months to jointly do so under EPS-95.

EPFO Pension