The government has raised the statutory wage ceiling for mandatory Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) coverage from ₹15,000 to ₹25,000 a month. The Union Cabinet approved the increase on September 16, with the revised ceiling taking effect from September 17, according to the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
According to the ministry, the move is expected to bring around 51 lakh additional employees under the mandatory EPFO coverage. The government said the revision – the first since September 2014 – is aimed at expanding access to provident fund savings, pension and insurance-linked social security.
The issue also came up before the Supreme Court on September 17, when it was hearing a plea seeking revision of the existing ₹15,000 wage ceiling. A bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and Augustine George Masih said the plea would not require further consideration after the Cabinet approved the increase. The court noted that consequential steps would follow the Cabinet decision.
{{/usCountry}}The issue also came up before the Supreme Court on September 17, when it was hearing a plea seeking revision of the existing ₹15,000 wage ceiling. A bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and Augustine George Masih said the plea would not require further consideration after the Cabinet approved the increase. The court noted that consequential steps would follow the Cabinet decision.
{{/usCountry}}For some employees, however, the change could mean a lower monthly take-home salary because of a higher employee contribution towards EPF.
Who will be affected?
The ₹25,000 figure is the statutory wage ceiling for mandatory EPFO coverage, not an employee’s total salary or CTC.
According to the Ministry of Labour and Employment, employees joining establishments at wages above ₹15,000 were previously not automatically covered under the mandatory EPF framework, subject to applicable statutory provisions. With the ceiling raised, employees drawing wages between ₹15,000 and ₹25,000 a month will become eligible for mandatory coverage.
The revised coverage will provide access, subject to the applicable scheme provisions, to the three major schemes administered by EPFO — the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF), Employees’ Pension Scheme (EPS) and Employees’ Deposit Linked Insurance Scheme (EDLI), according to the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
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Why could take-home salary fall?
Earlier, an employee would contribute 12% of basic wages towards the provident fund. In terms of the earlier ₹15,000 ceiling, this amounted to ₹1,800 a month.
Following the revised ₹25,000 ceiling, 12% works out to ₹3,000.
Therefore, an employee whose contribution was previously capped at ₹1,800 and is now calculated up to ₹25,000 could see an additional ₹1,200 deducted from their monthly salary.
The additional amount, however, goes towards the employee’s EPF savings.
What happens to the employer’s contribution?
The employer also contributes 12% under the EPF system. The Ministry of Labour and Employment said 8.33% of the employer’s contribution is allocated to the Employees’ Pension Scheme, while 3.67% is credited to the employee’s EPF account.
With the wage ceiling moving from ₹15,000 to ₹25,000, the contribution calculated on the higher ceiling can also increase.
Also Read: Now you can withdraw up to 100% part PF: EPFO's 7 new rules explained
Does this mean higher pension?
The higher ceiling can affect the amount considered for EPS contributions, but the pension will depend on factors, including pensionable salary, eligible pensionable service and the applicable pension rules.
The government has said that with the pensionable wage ceiling increased to ₹25,000, the maximum employer pension contribution at 8.33% will rise from ₹1,250 to ₹2,083 per month.
Why has the government raised the ceiling?
The EPFO wage ceiling had remained unchanged since September 2014.
According to the Ministry of Labour and Employment, the increase takes into account sustained wage growth, rising incomes and the continued expansion of formal employment. The government expects the revision to widen the social-security net and bring around 51 lakh more employees under mandatory EPFO coverage.
The government estimates the additional annual expenditure arising from the higher ceiling at around ₹11,339 crore, compared with existing annual budgetary support of approximately ₹10,250 crore, according to the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
Employees can check their payslips to see whether their EPF contribution is currently capped at ₹15,000 or calculated on a higher wage. That will help determine whether the revised ceiling is likely to affect their monthly take-home salary.