Centre extends benefits under provident fund, state insurance plans
NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Labour and Employment on Sunday announced additional benefits for the family of workers through the ESIC and EPFO who have died due to Covid pandemic.
These benefits include pension for dependents of insured persons with Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) who died due to COVID-19 and hike in maximum sum assured under the group insurance scheme Employees' Deposit Linked Insurance Scheme (EDLI), run by Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), to Rs 7 lakh from Rs 6 lakh.
The decision was taken keeping in view the rising number of deaths due to coronavirus. According to the ministry, the measure will play a key role in addressing the concerns of families of those workers who have died due to the infection and also help them tackle financial troubles.
"To support the families of Insured Persons (IP) under the ESIC scheme, it has been decided that, all dependent family members of IPs who have been registered in the online portal of the ESIC prior to their diagnosis of Covid disease and subsequent death due to the disease, will be entitled to receive the same benefits and in the same scale as received by the dependents of insured persons who die as a result of employment injury, subject to the following eligibility conditions the insured person must have been registered on the ESIC online portal at least three months prior to the diagnosis of COVID disease resulting in death, he/she must have been employed for wages and contributions for at least 78 days should have been paid or payable in respect of deceased person during one year immediately preceding the diagnosis of COVID disease resulting in death," the ministry said in a statement.
Currently, for the insured persons under the ESIC, after death or disablement due to employment injury, a pension equivalent to 90 per cent of the average daily wage drawn by the worker is made available to the spouse and widowed mother for the whole life and children till they attain the age of 25 years. For the female child, the benefit is available till her marriage.
Current benefits under ESIC
Currently, for the insured persons (IPs) under the ESIC, after death or disablement of the IP due to employment injury, a pension equivalent to 90 per cent of average daily wage drawn by the worker is available to the spouse and widowed mother for life long and for children till they attain the age of 25 years. For the female child, the benefit is available till her marriage.