40 lakh unemployed workers to get 50% of 3 months wages as ESIC relaxes norms

This move will benefit more than 40 lakh workers across several sectors.

The Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) relaxed their norms to ensured that people who have lost their jobs due to the pandemic between March 24 and December 31 this year get paid average wages of three months as unemployment benefit on Thursday.

ESIC relaxes norms to allow unemployed to get access to unemployment benefits.(ESIC/Twitter)

This move will benefit more than 40 lakh workers across several sectors.

Under the Atal Bimit Vyakti Kalyan Yojana ESIC approved the relaxations in eligibility criteria and enhancement to ensure payment of unemployment benefits.

ESIC has also decided to extend the scheme till June 1 next year.

The payment of relief has been enhanced to 50 percent of average wages from 25 percent of average wages payable up to a maximum of 90 days of unemployment, ESIC said in a statement. The relief has now become payable 30 days after unemployment, it was earlier payable after 90 days of employment.

The person seeking the benefit can submit the claim if the person has had insurable income for at least a minimum of two years and contribution should have been made for not less than 78 days in the contribution period immediately preceding to unemployment and in one of the three remaining contribution periods in two years prior to employment, the ESIC statement said.

The statement also said the insured person can submit the claim directly to ESIC branch office instead of the claim requiring the need to be forwarded by a previous employer. The money will be transferred directly to the bank account of the person.