Lok Sabha Question No. 1621 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-10
Subject: EPS-95 benefits to Workers
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Dr. Shrikant Eknath Shinde, Shri Ravindra Dattaram Waikar, Smt. Shambhavi, Shri Rajesh Verma, Shri Naresh Ganpat Mhaske

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1621 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.03.2025

## EPS-95 BENEFITS TO WORKERS

1621. SHRI RAJESH VERMA:

SHRI NARESH GANPAT MHASKE:

SMT. SHAMBHAVI:

DR. SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE:

SHRI RAVINDRA DATTARAM WAIKAR:

Will the Minister of LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT be pleased to state:

- (a)the details of the total number of pensioners currently receiving benefits  under  the  Employee  Pension  Scheme  (EPS-95)  since
- 2019, State-wise and year-wise;
- (b)the eligibility criteria for beneficiaries under the EPS-95 scheme and the scheme's contribution in ensuring financial security for retired employees and the measures taken by the Government to strengthen its implementation;
- (c)the mechanisms that are in place to ensure a hassle-free grievance redressal system by the Government for EPS-95 pensioners like delays or discrepancies in pension payments;
- (d)whether the Government is considering to extend EPS-95 benefits to gig workers and informal sector employees to expand the reach of pension security, if so, the details thereof; and
- (e)whether the Government  has  undertaken  any  initiatives to reassess  and  address  the  longstanding  demand  for  dearness allowance, health benefits and full pension for nominees under the aforementioned scheme and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SUSHRI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE)

(a) to (e): A table containing details of the total number of pensioners currently receiving benefits under the Employees' Pension Scheme (EPS-95) since 2019 is given below:

| Year    |   Total Pensioners under EPS-95 |
|---------|---------------------------------|
| 2019-20 |                         6682717 |
| 2020-21 |                         6919823 |
| 2021-22 |                         7273898 |
| 2022-23 |                         7558913 |
| 2023-24 |                         7849338 |

The  EPS  provides  comprehensive  benefits  covering  a broad  spectrum  of  contingencies,  which  ensures  social  security protection  during  old  age  of  the  Members  and  their  families.  The different  categories  of  pension  and  withdrawal  benefits  that  are available under EPS are as under:

- i. Member Pension upon superannuation at 58 years of age.
- ii. Early Member Pension from age of 50 years.
- iii. Disability Pension on permanent and total disablement during service.
- iv. Widow/Widower Pension on death of Member or Pensioner.
- v. Children Pension for 2 children at a time till the age of 25 years on death of the member.
- vi. Orphan Pension to 2 orphans at a time till the age of 25 years on death of a member when there is no spouse or on death of spouse.
- vii. Disabled  Children/Orphan  Pension  for  the  entire  life  of  the disabled child/orphan.
- viii. Nominee  Pension  on  death  of  member  and  paid  for  life  to  a person duly nominated by the member in case there is no family as defined under EPS, 1995.
- ix. Pension to dependent father/mother upon death of a member provided there is no family or nominee of the member.
- x. Withdrawal benefit on exit from service or on superannuation provided member has not rendered service eligible for pension.

The  Central  Government  has  formulated  the  Code  on Social Security, 2020 (SS Code) after amalgamating, simplifying and rationalizing the relevant provisions of the existing 9 Central Acts. The  said  Code  inter  alia  envisages  extension  of  social  security benefits to unorganized workers, gig workers and platform workers and  the  members  of  their  families  through  ESIC  or  Employees' Provident Fund Organization (EPFO).

EPFO has devised various Grievance redressal mechanisms in both online and offline modes wherein the pensioners can lodge their problems/complaints with the concerned authority in EPFO

The beneficiary can file their grievances in online mode through portals like CPGRAMS, EPFIGMS, UMANG APP.

Grievances can also be sent through offline mode in the form  of  DAKs  and  by  physical  visits  to  the  concerned  office.  The grievances are duly acknowledged and resolution is provided as per provisions/rules  for  which  a  Public  Relations  Officer  has  been appointed in all the field offices.

The Department has further started a grass-root outreach through the introduction of NIDHI AAPKE NIKAT wherein endeavour is made for on-spot redressal of the problems of workers.

Further, EPFO has rolled out the new Centralized Pension Payments System (CPPS) which allows pensioners to access their pension  seamlessly  from  any  bank,  any  branch,  anywhere  in  the country  without  any  need  for  transfer  of  Pension  Payment  Orders (PPO) from one office to another even when the Pensioner moves from one location to another or changes his bank or branch.

*****