EPF, EPS and EDLI: How employees earning up to ₹25,000 can check their eligibility and enrolment status

Employees earning up to ₹25,000 a month may now qualify for provident fund, pension and insurance benefits following the government’s decision to raise the wage ceiling for mandatory coverage under the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO). The revised limit came into effect on 17 September 2026, increasing the earlier ceiling of ₹15,000 a month.

The change is expected to bring more than 51 lakh additional employees under mandatory EPFO coverage. However, earning below the revised threshold does not, by itself, guarantee eligibility. Employees must meet the applicable scheme conditions, and those seeking coverage should check their eligibility with their employer.

The revision is particularly relevant for employees who were previously excluded from EPF coverage solely because their monthly wages exceeded ₹15,000.

According to the Labour Ministry’s announcement, employees whose wages fall between ₹15,000 and ₹25,000 and who meet the applicable eligibility conditions can now be enrolled in the statutory social security framework. The revised ceiling also affects the wage base used to calculate contributions, subject to the relevant scheme provisions.

Employees already enrolled in EPF should not assume that the change automatically means their contributions will rise in every case. The amount depends on their applicable wage base, existing membership status and the rules governing their contributions.

Employees who were excluded solely because their wages exceeded the earlier ceiling should first approach their employer’s human resources or payroll team. The employer will need to verify eligibility and complete the required enrolment and contribution formalities.

The practical steps are:

• Check eligibility: Confirm that your monthly wages do not exceed ₹25,000 and that you meet the other applicable conditions.
• Contact your employer: Ask the HR or payroll team to verify your status and initiate enrolment under EPF and the associated schemes, where applicable.
• Complete required formalities: Provide the necessary identification and employment details, including Aadhaar and bank information where required.
• Verify contributions: Once enrolled, check your salary slip and EPF passbook to confirm that contributions are being recorded correctly.

The revised wage ceiling does not mean employees can independently sign up for all three schemes through a single public-facing registration form. Employers handle the relevant establishment-level enrolment and contribution reporting.

The revised ceiling expands access to three forms of social security, subject to the applicable rules.

For employees newly brought into the system, the change can mean building retirement savings while gaining access to pension and insurance protection that may previously have been unavailable through mandatory EPFO coverage.

The higher ceiling can increase the wage base used to calculate contributions for eligible employees. Under the revised framework, the contribution ceiling is ₹25,000 a month or the employee’s actual salary or wages, whichever is lower, subject to the applicable provisions.

For example, where contributions are calculated on the full ₹25,000 wage base, an employee’s 12% contribution would amount to ₹3,000 a month. The employer’s contribution is allocated between EPF and EPS as applicable, while EDLI is funded separately by the employer. Actual deductions and allocations can vary according to membership status, eligible wages and the relevant rules.

Kirti jha

Kirti Jha is a Senior Content Producer at Mint, where she writes on mutual funds, taxation, personal finance and macroeconomic developments. Her reporting focuses on helping readers understand complex financial developments through data-driven, research-backed stories that explain how policy changes, market trends and regulatory decisions affect investors and households. <br><br> Before joining Mint, Kirti worked at ET Money, where she specialised in mutual fund research and investment analysis. She tracked portfolio disclosures, fund manager strategies, sectoral allocation shifts and investment trends, distilling large datasets into investor-focused insights. Her work combined quantitative analysis with consumer-centric storytelling, enabling readers to better understand fund positioning, portfolio changes and long-term investment opportunities.<br><br> Kirti holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics from Indraprastha College for Women, University of Delhi, and a Master's in Finance from the Jindal School of Banking & Finance at O.P. Jindal Global University. Her academic training emphasised analytical thinking, quantitative research and financial decision-making, providing a strong foundation in understanding capital markets, financial systems and economic policy. With a combined experience in investment research and financial journalism, she is committed to producing accurate, accessible and insightful journalism that empowers readers to make well-informed financial decisions.

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