# EPFO wage ceiling raised to Rs 25,000 from September 17 2026-09-18T21:38:34+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 4 independent outlets The Union Cabinet has approved raising the wage ceiling for mandatory EPFO coverage from Rs 15,000 to Rs 25,000 per month, effective September 17, 2026. The government estimates that around 51 lakh additional employees will be brought under the EPFO's social-security framework, which already has about 7.98 crore contributing members. Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya cited a government survey showing the average salary in private establishments is Rs 23,000 as the basis for the increase. The Hindu notes the 12-year delay since the previous ceiling was set in September 2014 and criticises the government for not making the survey findings public. It also highlights that the minimum EPS pension of Rs 1,000 has not been revised since 2014, despite a parliamentary committee recommending an urgent review in March 2026. Business Today reports that for a newly covered employee, the maximum employee deduction on the ceiling can rise by Rs 1,200 a month, reducing take-home pay by that amount. Economic Times calculates that an employee contributing at the new ceiling for 30 years could build an EPF corpus of about Rs 92.45 lakh, nearly Rs 37 lakh more than under the old ceiling. Livemint illustrates that with 33 years of service, the EPS monthly pension could rise to Rs 12,500 under the new ceiling, but stresses this is illustrative and depends on service record and contribution period. ## Indian Opinion Analysis The Hindu stands alone in criticising the government for the 12-year gap and the stagnant Rs 1,000 minimum pension, while the other three outlets offer neutral, calculator-style coverage that accepts the ceiling revision at face value. The Hindu also notes the government has not released the survey behind the decision, a transparency issue the others omit. The balanced reading is that the ceiling rise is a genuine expansion of coverage, but the unresolved minimum pension question affects 82 lakh pensioners, most of whom get Rs 1,000 or less. The parliamentary committee's March 2026 report is the key document to watch for follow-up. ## Coverage - thehindu.com (government critical) Leads with the delay and criticises government inaction on minimum pension - businesstoday.in (neutral report) Factual explainer on wage ceiling impact without policy judgement - economictimes.indiatimes.com (neutral report) Straightforward calculation piece on EPF corpus growth - livemint.com (neutral report) Neutral guide to EPS pension calculations with disclaimers Tags: Employees’ Pension Scheme, EPFO, Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Cabinet Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/epfo-wage-ceiling-raised-to-rs-25000-after-12-years/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/epfo-wage-ceiling-raised-to-rs-25000-after-12-years/#story-in-brief