ESIC members who lost their jobs amid Covid can claim 50% of average wage

The members of Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) will now get enhanced unemployment allowance and more expeditiously till December this year.  The benefits will be available to members of ESIC who lost their jobs during the Covid-19 pandemic.
 

Under its Atal Bimit Vyakti Kalyna Yojna, ESIC will give 50 per cent of average wages for a maximum period of 90 days of unemployment till this calendar year-end. At present, the benefit amounts to around 25 per cent of average wages.
 

The  relief would be given after 30 days of unemployment as against 90 days at present, according to decision taken by the ESIC at a meeting chaired by labour minister Santosh Kumar Gangwar.
 

ESIC is implementing the scheme under which unemployment benefit is paid to the workers covered under ESI Scheme. The ESIC has decided to extend the scheme for one more year upto June 30 next year.
 

It has been decided to relax the existing conditions and the amount of relief for workers who have lost employment during the Covid-19 pandemic. The enhanced relief under the relaxed conditions will be payable for the period - March 24 to December 31 - this year.
 

Thereafter till June 30, 2021, the scheme will be available with original eligibility conditions. The scheme will be reviewed after the end of this calendar year.
 

A person insured under the scheme can submit the claim directly to ESIC branch office instead of the claim being forwarded by the last employer and the payment will be made directly into the bank account of the person.
 

The person should have been in insurable employment for a minimum period of two years before his employment is terminated and should have contributed for at least 78 days in the contribution period immediately preceding to unemployment. He should have also contributed for at least 78 days in one of the remaining three contribution periods in two years prior to unemployment.
 

ESIC provides social security benefits like reasonable medical care and a range of cash benefits in times of need such as injury, sickness, death etc. It covers about 34.9 million families of workers, helping 135.6 million beneficiaries.