Affidavit form not necessary to claim unemployment benefit from ESIC

The Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) has relaxed conditions for seeking claims for unemployment benefits, doing away with requirement to submit affidavit form by claimants. 

Such claims through affidavit form are no longer required now under Atal Beemit Vyakti Kalyan Yojana (ABVKY) of the ESIC, a labour ministry statement said.

These claims will be submitted online along with scanned copies of required documents, it added.

The ESIC in its meeting held on August 20, 2020 had extended the scheme ‘Atal Beemit Vyakti Kalyan Yojana’ from July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021.

It was also decided to enhance the rate of relief under the scheme from present 25% of the average daily earning to 50% of average daily earning and also relax the eligibility conditions for the period March 24, 2020 to December 31, 2020 to provide relief to the workers who have become unemployed during Covid-19 pandemic.

While analysing the response of the beneficiaries to the scheme under relaxed conditions, it was found that the condition of submitting the claim in affidavit form is causing inconvenience to the claimants, the ministry said.

Considering the difficulties faced by the beneficiaries, it has now been decided that the claimant who has submitted the claim under ‘Atal Beemit Vyakti Kalyan Yojana’ online and uploaded the scanned copies of the required documents i.e. copies of Aadhar and bank details need not submit the physical claim, it added. 

If the documents are not uploaded at the time of online filing of the claim, claimant will submit the printout of the claim duly signed along with the required documents, it informed. Condition for submitting the claim in affidavit form has been dispensed with, it added. 

The ESIC is a pioneer social security organisation providing comprehensive social security benefits like reasonable medical care and a range of cash benefits in times of need such as employment injury, sickness, death etc. It is covering about 3.49 crore of family units of workers and providing matchless cash benefits and reasonable medical care to its 13.56 crore beneficiaries. 

Today, its infrastructure has increased many folds with 1,520 dispensaries (including mobile dispensaries)/307 ISM units and 159 ESI hospitals, 793 branch/pay offices and 64 regional and sub-regional offices.

The ESI scheme today stands implemented in 566 districts in 34 states and union territories of the country.