Labour ministry notifies minimum assurance benefit criteria for EDLI subscribers

The ministry of labour and employment, on Friday, notified relaxed criteria for subscribers of the Employees’ Deposit Linked Insurance (EDLI) scheme under the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation.

As per the notification, the beneficiary family will be eligible for a minimum assurance benefit of Rs 50,000 in the event of death of an employee even if his average provident fund balance is less than Rs 50,000.

Further, for the purpose of determining the continuous period of twelve months required for eligibility of minimum assurance benefits payable under the scheme, the gap of up to sixty days between two spells of employment shall be ignored and such multiple services shall be added being treated as continuous service, it said.

“In the event an employee who is a member of the Fund or of a provident fund exempted under section 17 of the Act, as the case may be, dies in service within six months of the last contribution received while still being on the rolls of the employer, such an employee shall get the assurance benefit as per the Scheme,” it added.

The central board of trustees of EPFO had approved these amendments to the EDLI scheme in its last meeting on February 28, 2025.

The EDLI scheme is part of the Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) and acts as a social security benefit. It offers financial assistance to the dependents of an EPF member in the event of the untimely death of the EPF member while still employed.