Is joining EPS a must at Rs 25K+ salary?

As of now, if an individual's monthly wages are Rs 25,000 or less, they must join the Employees' Provident Fund (EPF), Employees' Pension Scheme (EPS) and the Employees' Deposit Linked Insurance (EDLI) scheme. Employees earning more than Rs 25,000 a month need to verify their existing EPS membership status. If they are already an EPS member, their membership will continue.

However, if they were earning Rs 25,000 and were not an EPS member before, they are not required to join the EPS scheme. It is essential to check salary slips and EPF passbook to ensure that the employer is making EPS contributions to the employee's EPS account. In case of missing EPS contributions, the employee should first communicate with their employer and if the issue is not resolved, they can lodge a grievance through the EPFiGMS portal.