The Regional Office of the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) in Chandigarh has handled one of the highest volumes of higher pension applications in the country.
This follows a ruling from the Supreme Court on November 4, 2022, which allowed eligible employees to opt for higher pensions under the Employees’ Pension Scheme (EPS), 1995.
The court’s order opened a window for employees who were in service on or after September 1, 2014, and had contributed to the pension scheme on salaries higher than ₹15,000.
Employees and their employers could jointly apply to receive higher pensions, provided contributions had been made on actual wages.
Chandigarh Sees Heavy Response on Higher Pension
After the judgment, the Chandigarh EPFO office received 24,250 applications under the higher pension category. Out of these, 19,367 were joint options filed by employees who were still working after the cutoff date. This was one of the highest totals in the country.
To handle the surge, the regional office worked overtime, including weekends, especially during the last two weeks of the 2024–25 financial year. As a result of these extra efforts, 14,158 joint-option applications were processed and approved for higher pension eligibility.
By March 31, 2025, demand letters had been sent out to these applicants. These letters listed the amount due, including arrears and interest, with a payment window of three months. In percentage terms, the office cleared over 73% of the joint-option cases, ranking it first in India. In terms of raw numbers, it stood third.
Many applicants have already begun to submit the required payments. The regional office is now focusing on finalizing Pension Payment Orders (PPOs) and making arrear payments by June 30, 2025.
Officials Request Patience
Due to a large number of visitors seeking updates, Regional PF Commissioner Dr. Kishan Pratap Singh has asked members to wait until the first week of July.
This will allow the staff to complete the final processing in an organized manner, based on the order in which claims were received.
Strong Year for Higher Pension Claims Processing
Dr. Singh also noted strong performance in other areas during the 2024–25 financial year.
The Chandigarh EPFO office settled a total of 6,97,372 claims—up by 37.73% from the 5,06,325 claims processed the year before.
Speed of Processing Improved
- 91.55% of claims in 2024–25 were settled within 10 days, compared to 77.72% in 2023–24.
- 99.41% were settled within 20 days, up from 96.86% last year.
Fewer Rejections and Complaints
- The rejection or return rate dropped to 20.18%, down from 27.22% the previous year.
- The number of complaints also came down from 16,835 in FY 2023–24 to 14,797 in FY 2024–25.
- Complaints per one lakh claims fell by 35.6%, from 3,325 to 2,139.
These improvements are signs that the system is becoming more efficient, helping both employees and employers. With most higher pension claims nearly completed, the office expects to deliver faster service and handle fewer complaints in the future.
Key Takeaways:
- Chandigarh EPFO led in processing higher pension applications after the Supreme Court ruling.
- Over 24,000 applications were received, with 14,158 approved by March 31, 2025.
- The office ranked 1st in approval percentage and 3rd in total approvals nationwide.
- Final PPOs and arrears are expected to be completed by June 30, 2025.
- Members are asked to wait until early July for updates to avoid delays.
- In FY 2024–25, the office saw a 38% jump in claim settlements compared to the previous year.
- Processing speed improved, with most claims settled in 10–20 days.
- Rejections and complaints declined, showing stronger service quality.
This performance reflects a strong push by the Chandigarh EPFO office to improve claim handling and member service during a busy and important period.
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