The deadline extension comes after several requests from employers and their associations for additional time to finalize the necessary submissions.
New Delhi: The Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has granted a final extension for employers to process and upload pending applications related to the Validation of Options or Joint Options for pensions on higher wages.
According to the Ministry of Labour & Employment this extension follows several requests from employers and their associations seeking more time to complete the necessary submissions.
The online facility for submitting applications was first introduced on February 26 2023 in accordance with the Supreme Court order from November 4 2022.
Initially the deadline was set for May 3 2023 but it was extended to June 26 2023 to provide eligible pensioners and members with a full four months to submit their applications.
A further 15 days grace period was granted with the final submission deadline set for July 11 2023. As a result EPFO received a total of 17.49 lakh applications by that date.
Despite multiple extensions for submitting the required wage details EPFO has noted that over 3.1 lakh applications remain pending.
Employers have faced difficulties in uploading the necessary wage data prompting additional requests for an extension.
In response EPFO has now set a final deadline of January 31 2025 for employers to process and upload the remaining applications.
Alongside the extension for pending applications EPFO has also requested employers to provide updates or clarifications in over 4.66/- lakhs cases where further information is required.
Employers are expected to respond by January 15 2025 to ensure the process is completed smoothly and in line with the Supreme Court directive.
This extension provides employers with the final opportunity to ensure all pending pension validation applications are processed and uploaded fulfilling their responsibilities under the Supreme Court ruling.
