Page 5 - Pensions

Budget 2025 FAQs: Key tax, insurance and investment changes explained

Budget 2025 brings key tax, insurance, and investment changes. From ULIP taxation to NPS benefits and Kisan Credit Card updates, here's a breakdown of FAQs to help you understand the new provisions

HDFC Securities, KFin Tech tie up to boost NPS adoption among subscribers

HDFC Securities on Monday announced a strategic partnership with KFin Technologies Ltd to boost accessibility and adoption of the National Pension System (NPS) among its subscribers. The collaboration aims to leverage KFin Technologies' advanced central recordkeeping agency (CRA) platform to provide an enhanced user experience for HDFC Securities' 3.5 lakh subscribers and over 2,700 corporate clients, the company said in a statement. CRAs play a vital role in the NPS ecosystem by managing subscriber records, ensuring transparency, and facilitating seamless account operations. KFintech's CRA platform is equipped with features such as flexible transaction statement downloads, real-time SMS notifications for contributions, and advanced security measures like dual-factor authentication using passwords and OTPs, it added. Subscribers can also access dedicated portals, WhatsApp services, and a missed-call facility to monitor investments and make changes conveniently, the stockbroking fir

Budget 2025: Govt plans NPS reforms to boost pension cover for gig workers

The government may hike the minimum pension amount under Atal Pension Yojana in the upcoming Union Budget to attract informal sector workers

Govt approves 8th Pay Commission ahead of Budget 2025: What we know so far

The current pay commission, which helps determine govt employee's salaries, allowances, and pensions, is set to end in 2026

EPFO launches centralised pension system, benefitting 6.8 mn members

Retirement fund body EPFO has completed the Centralized Pension Payments System (CPPS) rollout in all its regional offices across the country that will benefit over 68 lakh pensioners, the labour ministry said on Friday. The CPPS is a paradigm shift from the existing pension disbursement system that is decentralised, with each zonal/regional office of EPFO maintaining separate agreements with only 3-4 banks, the ministry explained in a statement. Under CPPS, a beneficiary will be able to withdraw pension from any bank and there will be no need for to visit the bank for verification at the time of commencement of pension, and the amount will be immediately credited upon release, it stated. The CPPS system January 2025 onwards will also ensure disbursement of pension throughout India without any need for transfer of pension payment orders (PPO) from one office to another even when the pensioner moves from one location to another or changes his bank or branch, it said. This will be a

Transforming EPFO: Can it pivot into a user-friendly organisation?

With the number of rejections rising to almost a third of claims, the government is taking steps to radically reform the country's largest social security platform in order to ease payouts of benefits

China to hike pensions, med insurance subsidies to spur consumption in 2025

The country will boost the basic pension for retirees and for urban and rural residents and raise financial subsidy standards for urban and rural residents' medical insurance

NPS' assets under management to touch Rs 15 trn by FY end: PFRDA Chairman

The assets under management (AUM) of the National Payment System are expected to touch Rs 15-lakh crore by the end of current fiscal year, Pension Fund Regulatory Development Authority Chairman Deepak Mohanty said on Saturday. At a media interaction following the official launch of the Association of NPS Intermediaries, Mohanty also said the take up rate by the employees in the corporate sector remains a challenge. This Association of NPS comprises stakeholders including pension fund managers, points of presence (bank and non-bank), central record keeping agencies, trustee banks, custodians, aggregators, annuity service providers, pension agents, retirement advisors, and other industry participants. The association aims to represent the interests of all intermediaries in the NPS ecosystem, promote NPS as a reliable, flexible, and tax-efficient retirement product, focus on subscriber welfare by ensuring smooth and transparent processes within the system and also to collaborate with .

EPFO deadline for employers to file wage details extended till Jan 31

Retirement fund body EPFO has extended time till January 31, 2025 for employers to upload wage details etc regarding 3.1 lakh pending applications for pension on higher wages. An online facility was made available by EPFO for submitting applications for validation of options/joint options for pension on higher wages, a labour ministry statement said. The facility was for eligible pensioners or members in compliance with the Supreme Court order on November 4, 2022. It was launched on February 26, 2023 and was to remain available only till May 3, 2023. However, considering representations of employees, the time was extended to June 26, 2023 in order to provide complete four months to eligible pensioners/members for filing applications. A last opportunity of 15 days was further given to remove any difficulty faced by them. Accordingly, the last date for submission of applications was extended to July 11, 2023 and a total of 17.49 lakh applications were received from pensioners/membe

Judges' pensions as low as Rs 10,000: SC calls situation 'pitiable'

The Supreme Court had earlier ruled that pensionary benefits must be calculated based on the past drawn salary as a High Court judge, ensuring parity across the judiciary

What are the best pension plans that can help you post-retirement?

From immediate to regular to deferred pension, check out your best options

China to expand private pension scheme from Dec 15 for ageing population

Those covered by public pension insurance will be allowed to open private pension accounts and invest up to 12,000 yuan

Money matters: States' pension bill growth slowed in FY23, says RBI report

Previously, the pension bill has increased by 13.4 per cent in FY22

Year-end portfolio review, Vatsalya scheme: Top personal finance stories

This week report about how to check and balance your financial investments and how a government scheme for children's retirement scheme works

Over 168k pensioners' grievances redressed in last two years: MoS

More than 1.68 lakh pensioners' grievances have been redressed in the last two years, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. In a written reply, he said the Centralised Pension Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPENGRAMS) has reduced the backlog with no case pending for more than two years as on date. The CPENGRAMS is an online system for redressal of pension-related grievances. "1,68,964 grievances have been resolved during last two years (from 01.11.2022 to 31.10.2024)," said Singh, the Minister of State for Personnel. For the redressal of grievances of family pensioners and super-senior pensioners, specific categorisation of such grievances, including the delay in the start of family pension and additional pension, has been done for better monitoring, the minister said. Further, regular reminders are issued and monthly Inter-Ministerial Review Meetings (IMRMs) are conducted for such cases, he said. Also, under 100 days action plan, a month-lon

EPS subscribers with Rs 1,000 pension increases by 3% to 3.66 mn in FY24

The annual report data also shows that the central government provided a support of Rs 957 crore during FY 24 for the minimum pension

EPFO Board approves reinvesting 50% ETF redemption proceeds into equity

The board also approved the rollout of the centralised payment system by Dec 31 which will allow pensioners to withdraw money from any branch of any bank nationwide

Govt may allow EPFO members to hike EPS contribution for higher pension

The labour ministry is considering to revamp Employees' Pension Scheme 1995 (EPS-95) by allowing more contribution by members for higher retirement benefit, a top source said. Presently, the entire contribution of members of the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), or 12 per cent of the basic salary, goes into the EPF account. It is the employers' contribution, of which 8.33 per cent goes into EPS-95 while the remaining 3.67 per cent is credited into the EPF account. The top source said members will get more pension if they contribute more into their EPS-95 account. Therefore, the ministry is weighing options to allow a higher contribution towards EPS. The source also said the employees could also be allowed to contribute towards EPS-95 to increase the pension benefit under the revamped structure. The source added that besides improving social security benefits, the Modi government is also focusing on job creation in the country. He explained that a capex of Rs 1 crore

1,500 Kerala govt staff found drawing pensions meant for the poor and old

Kerala is not alone in witnessing fraud within social security pension schemes. Other states have faced similar issues

10 mn digital life certificates generated by pensioners: Jitendra Singh

One crore digital life certificates have been generated by pensioners across the country during the month-long ongoing special campaign, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Tuesday. The minister had earlier this month launched the nation-wide digital life certificate campaign 3.0 for digital empowerment of pensioners. The campaign is being held in 800 cities/ towns of India from November 1-30. "Digital life certificate (DLC) introduced for convenience of pensioners and elder citizens has crossed the record one crore mark in the ongoing campaign," he said. Singh, the Minister of State for Personnel, said this landmark will go a long way in bringing ease of living for elder citizens and live up to the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as expressed by him in the recent episode of 'Mann Ki Baat'. Now, by enabling the digital life certificate, things have become very simple; the elderly do not have to go to the bank. Elderly do not face any problem on account of technology. Makin