New Delhi: Many salaried employees see PF deductions every month, and EPFO also administers an assurance benefit called EDLI that becomes relevant when an EPF member dies during employment. Under EPFO’s EDLI scheme, the maximum assurance benefit payable under paragraph 22(3) is up to ₹7 lakh.
Why now: the enhanced EDLI framework has been notified through amendments, including a “Second Amendment” notification that is deemed to have come into force on 28 April 2024.
- Immediate action: Submit Form 5(IF) with Form 20 and Form 10D/10C (as applicable) plus required documents and valid attestation.
- Critical number: EDLI maximum assurance benefit under para 22(3) is up to ₹7 lakh.
- Who is affected: Person(s) entitled to receive PF accumulations (nominee/family first; legal heir only when there is no family and no nomination), for deaths while in service.
Core facts
EPFO’s Form 5(IF) instructions state that EDLI benefit is admissible to the person(s) entitled to receive the Provident Fund accumulations of the deceased member, and only if the member’s death occurred while in service.
EPFO’s EDLI amendment notification enhanced the maximum assurance benefit under paragraph 22(3) to ₹7 lakh (from ₹6 lakh) and specifies that the salary multiple under para 22(3) shall be 35.
The same notification states that certain enhanced provisions (including the service-continuity relaxation) were to remain in force for a period of three years from the date of publication in the Official Gazette.
It also states that the paragraph 22(3) benefit shall be extended where the deceased was a PF member (or in a PF-exempted establishment under Section 17) and was in employment for a continuous 12 months preceding the month of death, irrespective of change of establishment during that period.
Impact and official process
Who can apply: Form 5(IF) sets the claimant order as (1) family nominees where a nomination exists, (2) eligible family members if there is no nomination, and (3) legal heir only when there is no family and no nomination.
A guardian can apply where the claimant is a minor (minor nominee/family member/legal heir), as set out in the same Form 5(IF) instructions.
How to file: the EDLI claim is made in Form 5(IF), and EPFO advises submitting it with Form 20 (PF dues) and Form 10D/10C (pension/withdrawal benefit, as applicable) so claims under the three schemes can be processed together.
EPFO also directs claimants to provide bank details and enclose a copy of a blank/cancelled cheque for the account in which payment is opted.
Documents and attestation rules
Form 5(IF) lists key enclosures including the death certificate, a cancelled/blank cheque, a guardianship certificate where applicable (if filed by someone other than the natural guardian), and a succession certificate for legal-heir claims.
For attestation, the claim should be attested by the last employer; if the establishment is closed and there is no authorised officer, EPFO permits attestation (with official seal) by specified authorities including a Magistrate, Gazetted Officer, Post/Sub-Post Master, MP/MLA, and the claimant’s bank manager (where the account is maintained), among others listed in the instructions.
EPFO’s EDLI calculator page also cautions users that EPFO has no app other than UMANG for EPFO services and advises against sharing personal identifiers such as Aadhaar/PAN/UAN over telephone.
FAQs
It is the EDLI assurance benefit under EPFO, where the maximum assurance benefit under paragraph 22(3) is up to ₹7 lakh. It is admissible only when the member’s death occurred while in service.
No. Form 5(IF) states EDLI benefit is admissible only if the member’s death occurred while in service. It is admissible to the person(s) entitled to receive the deceased member’s PF accumulations, following EPFO’s claimant order.
Form 5(IF) is the prescribed EDLI claim form. EPFO advises submitting it along with Form 20 and Form 10D/10C (as applicable) so benefits under all three schemes can be processed together.
If the establishment is closed and there is no authorised officer, Form 5(IF) allows attestation by specified authorities such as a Magistrate, Gazetted Officer, Post/Sub-Post Master, MP/MLA, or the claimant’s bank manager, among others listed.
Disclaimer: This article provides general information on EDLI rules and the claim process; final admissibility and the benefit amount are determined by EPFO based on its records and processing.
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