EPFO reforms after the Social Security Code: procedural continuity, but pension and contribution ceilings remain unresolved

This editorial assesses the Union Labour and Employment Ministry’s notification of new rules for the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF), Employees’ Pension Scheme (EPS), and Employees’ Deposit Linked Insurance (EDLI). It treats the move as largely procedural, tied to implementation of the Code on Social Security, 2020, which consolidated and subsumed multiple labour and social security laws.

The editorial notes that EPFO’s Central Board of Trustees approved social security measures as a follow-on to the Code, with a large subscriber base making the changes significant for workers and their families. It argues that several aspects of EPF contributions are not truly new—especially the ability to make contributions voluntarily above statutory wage ceilings, a practice that became more restricted only during and after the COVID-19 period when some employers limited contributions to the wage ceiling.

However, the key disappointment highlighted is the failure to revise two long-standing parameters: the minimum monthly pension of ₹1,000 and the wage ceiling for determining contributions, both set around twelve years ago. The editorial cites EPFO’s 2024–25 annual report indicating that a substantial share of pensioners receive ₹1,000 or less.