Govt announces pension scheme, insurance cover to support COVID-19 victims’ dependents

In a bid to provide more support for those who have lost family members to COVID-19, the government on May 29 announced a family pension for dependents. Besides family pensions, insurance benefits under the Employees’ Deposit-Linked Insurance (EDLI) scheme have been enhanced and liberalised.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said these steps will help mitigate financial difficulties faced by these families. PM Modi said the government stands in solidarity with these families.
In a tweet, the PM said, “Family Pension under ESIC and EPFO- Employees’ Deposit Linked Insurance Scheme will provide a financial cushion to those families who have lost their earning member due to COVID-19. The Government of India stands in solidarity with these families.”

To help these families live a life of dignity and maintain a good standard of living, the benefit of the Employee State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) pension scheme for employment-related death cases is being extended to even those who have died due to Covid, the PMO said in a statement.

Dependent family members of such persons will be entitled to the benefit of pension equivalent to 90 per cent of the average daily wage drawn by the worker as per the existing norms. This benefit will be available retrospectively with effect from March 24 last year and for all such cases till March 24, 2022.

The enhancement of insurance benefits under the EDLI scheme will in particular help the families of employees who have lost their lives due to the pandemic, the PMO said. The amount of maximum insurance benefit has been increased from Rs 6 lakh to Rs 7 lakh, and the provision of minimum insurance benefit of Rs 2.5 lakh has been restored and will apply retrospectively from February 15, 2020 for the next three years.