News Desk
22 August 2025, 08:24 AM IST
This means that families of employees who pass away on or after April 1, 2025, will now receive Rs 15 lakh instead of the earlier Rs 8.8 lakh.
EPFO
The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has announced a major relief measure for its staff, enhancing the ex-gratia amount under the Death Relief Fund for Central Board employees from Rs 8.8 lakh to Rs 15 lakh, effective from April 1, 2025.
According to EPFO, this benefit will be provided to the nominee or legal heirs of Central Board employees who die while in service, and the payout will be made from the Staff Welfare Fund.
In a circular issued on August 19, 2025, the organisation said: “…the undersigned is directed to convey the approval of the Central Provident Fund Commissioner/ President, Central Staff Welfare Committee, Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation, for enhancement of the ex-gratia amount under Death Relief Fund from Rs 8.80 Lakh to Rs 15 Lakh. The ex-gratia amount of Rs 15 Lakh (Rs Fifteen Lakh only) shall be paid to the family members (nominee or legal heirs) of the deceased employee of the Central Board, from the Staff Welfare Fund.”
This means that families of employees who pass away on or after April 1, 2025, will now receive Rs 15 lakh instead of the earlier Rs 8.8 lakh. The Central Board of Trustees, EPFO’s apex decision-making body comprising representatives from the government, employers and employees, approved the increase.
Annual 5% increase from 2026
EPFO has also declared that the ex-gratia amount will rise by 5% every year from April 1, 2026, to offset inflation and rising living costs.
Reforms in 2025
The organisation has rolled out a series of reforms this year to simplify processes for subscribers and their families. The death claim procedure has been streamlined, removing the need for guardianship certificates when settling claims in the bank accounts of minor children.
Additionally, the joint declaration process has been made easier for members who have yet to link or verify their Aadhaar with their UAN, or those needing corrections in Aadhaar details. These changes are intended to ensure quicker, more accessible services.
Female participation and state trends
Female enrolment continued to grow, with 0.47 million net female members added in June 2025, up 10.3% from the previous year. Of these, 0.30 million were new additions, registering a modest 1.34% increase.
State-wise data showed Maharashtra leading payroll additions with 20.03% of the total, followed by Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Telangana, each accounting for more than 5% of net additions.
Industry-wise, the highest growth came from schools, professional services, construction, and higher education institutions.
Job growth hits record levels
EPFO’s provisional payroll data for June 2025 shows the addition of 2.18 million net formal jobs, the highest since records began in April 2018. This marked an 8.9% increase over May 2025, when 2.01 million jobs were added, and a 12.9% rise from June 2024.
New subscriber enrolment stood at 1.06 million in June, up 12.6% month-on-month and 3.61% year-on-year. A majority of them — 60.2% or 0.64 million — were aged between 18 and 25, signalling a strong inflow of first-time job seekers. Payroll additions for this age group totalled 0.97 million, an increase of 11.4% from May and 12.15% from a year earlier.
EPFO also reported that 1.69 million members exited and then rejoined in June 2025, a 19.6% year-on-year increase, reflecting job changes but with members choosing to transfer their provident fund accumulations instead of opting for final settlement.
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