Will EPS pensioners get minimum Rs 7,500 pension?

On August 5, 2026, a protest took place in New Delhi by the EPS 95 National Agitation Committee, representing numerous EPS pensioners nationwide. They demanded that the central government raise the minimum EPS pension from Rs 1,000 to Rs 7,500, citing that the existing amount is insufficient to cope with the increasing cost of living.

This plea was echoed in the Lok Sabha on Monday, August 10, when MP Ramvir Singh Bidhuri inquired whether the government intended to raise the minimum EPS-95 pension from Rs 1,000 to Rs 7,500. He also requested data pertaining to employees under the EPS-1995 scheme and the cumulative pension amount disbursed to them.

In response to Bidhuri's question, Shobha Karandlaje, the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, did not provide a definitive answer regarding the government's plan to increase the minimum EPS pension. However, she did highlight that the government currently provides an EPS pension of Rs 1,000 per month to pensioners, on top of the budgetary support of 1.16% of wages contributed towards the EPS by the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO).

The pension fund is financed through employer contributions of 8.33% of wages and a budgetary support of 1.16% of wages, up to an amount of Rs 15,000 per month, as per the EPS 1995 scheme.

As of March 31, 2026, there were 85,84,604 pensioners receiving monthly pensions under the EPS scheme, with a total disbursement of Rs 15,819.28 crore. Additionally, 1,49,806 pension payment orders (PPOs) were issued on higher wages following the Supreme Court's judgement on November 4, 2022. The EPS 2026 scheme has superseded the EPS-95, yet EPS 1971 and EPS 1995 beneficiaries will continue to receive benefits under the new scheme, according to Karandlaje.