## Policy Summary: EPFO Processing of Pension Applications on Higher Wages
This document summarizes the Indian Ministry of Labour and Employment's response to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 224, answered on July 21, 2025, regarding the processing of Employee Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) pension applications based on higher wages.
The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Sushri Shobha Karandlaje, stated that the EPFO has been processing applications for pension on higher wages in accordance with the Supreme Court's judgment dated November 4, 2022. As of July 16, 2025, the EPFO had disposed of over 98.5% of applications received.
Detailed data, provided in the Annexure to the response, indicates the zone-wise disposal status of these applications. A total of 1,524,150 applications were received across various zonal offices. Of these, 400,573 were deemed eligible, 1,101,582 were rejected, and 21,995 were pending. The annexure provides a breakdown of these figures by zonal office and field offices, including the number of demand letters issued to applicants. For example, the Vijaywada field office (Andhra Pradesh) received 56,799 applications, deemed 25,964 eligible and rejected 30,093, with 742 pending. Similarly, the Bengaluru field office received 109,305 applications, deemed 10,136 eligible and rejected 98,915, with 254 pending.
Key Entities Referenced
Employees' Provident Fund Organization: An organization responsible for managing provident fund and pension schemes for employees in India.
Provident Fund: A fund to which employees and employers contribute for the employee's retirement or separation from service.
Supreme Court: The highest judicial body in India, whose judgement on 04.11.2022 directed the processing of applications for pension on higher wages.
Lok Sabha: The lower house of the Parliament of India, where the unstarred question related to PF pensions was raised.
SUSHRI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE: Minister of State for Labour and Employment who provided the answer to the Lok Sabha question.
Andhra Pradesh: A state in India, specifically mentioning Vijayawada, where applications for PoHW were received.
Karnataka: A state in India, with Bengaluru and Hubli specified, where applications for PoHW were received.
Pension on Higher Wages: Refers to applications by employees seeking pension benefits calculated on higher wages than the default limit.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 224
TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.07.2025
PF PENSIONS ON HIGHER WAGES
224. ADV. ADOOR PRAKASH:
Will the Minister of LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT be pleased to
state:
(a)whether the Government is aware that the large number of
applications for Provident Fund (PF) pension on higher wages have
been rejected by the Employees' Provident Fund Organization;
(b)if so, the details and the reasons therefor;
(c)the details of the number of such applications received and
pension granted, rejected and pending as on date State/UT-wise;
(d)whether the Government has any plan to take immediate measures
to process the pending applications without any delay; and
(e)if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
(SUSHRI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE)
(a) to (e): EPFO has processed and disposed off applications for
pension on higher wages as per the directions of the Hon’ble
Supreme Court in its judgement dated 04.11.2022. As on 16.07.2025,
more than 98.5% applications have been disposed off by EPFO.
The detailed status on the applications for grant of
Pension on Higher wages, is at Annexure.
* *****Annexure
Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) to (e) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question no. 224 for
21.07.2025.
Zone Wise disposal of PoHW Applications as on 16.07.2025
No. of
Demand
Total No. of letters issued
Applications to applicants No. of
Received in eligible for Rejected No. of Pending
Zonal Office Field Offices PoHW Applications Applications
ANDHRA PRADESH
(VIJAYWADA) 56,799 25,964 30,093 742
BENGALURU
(BENGALURU) 1,09,305 10,136 98,915 254
BIHAR &
JHARKHAND(PATNA) 29,943 8,713 20,876 354
CHENNAI &
PUDUCHERRY (CHENNAI) 72,040 7,622 63,026 1,392
DELHI, UTTARAKHAND &
JAMMU 95,418 28,939 63,602 2,877
GUJARAT (AHMEDABAD) 96,846 4,799 91,965 82
HARYANA 31,738 12,880 18,853 5
KARNATAKA (OTHER
THAN BENGALURU) &
GOA (HUBLI) 91,699 11,623 79,363 713
KERALA &
LAKSHADWEEP
(THIRUVANANTHAPURA
M) 81,662 43,176 36,178 2,308
MADHYA PRADESH &
CHATTISGARH (BHOPAL) 67,605 19,125 47,507 973
MAHARASHTRA(EXCLUD
ING MUMBAI)(PUNE) 1,26,305 6,113 1,19,382 810
MUMBAI-1 (BANDRA) 1,26,441 5,842 1,19,957 642
MUMBAI-2 (THANE) 28,984 4,182 23,707 1,095
NORTH-EASTERN REGION
(GUWAHATI) 10,927 6,653 4,269 5
ORISSA (BHUBANESWAR) 49,234 20,180 26,503 2,551
PUNJAB & HIMACHAL
PRADESH 44,946 26,558 14,991 3,397
RAJASTHAN 38,785 8,251 30,500 34
TAMIL
NADU(EXCLUDING
CHENNAI) 77,106 17,747 59,181 178
TELANGANA
(HYDERABAD) 1,65,335 83,733 78,902 2,700
UTTAR PRADESH 65,179 19,120 45,948 111
WB, A&N ISLANDS &
SIKKIM (KOLKATA) 57,853 29,217 27,864 772
Total 15,24,150 4,00,573 11,01,582 21,995
*****