New Delhi | Retirement fund body EPFO has extended the date for filing applications to opt for a higher pension till June 26, 2023.

In order to provide a larger window of opportunity and in order to enable all eligible persons to file their applications, the timeline for filing applications would now be till 26th June, 2023, according to a statement.

"The EPFO (Employees' Provident Fund Organisation) has made arrangements for obtaining applications for validation of option/joint option from pensioners/members as per the Supreme Court order on November 4, 2022," labour ministry said in a statement.

To facilitate this process, online facility has been made available.

More than 12 lakh applications have been received till date.

The online facility was to remain available only till May 3, 2023.

In the meantime, many representations have been received from various quarters seeking extension of time.

The issue has been considered and it has been decided that in order to provide a larger window of opportunity and in order to enable all eligible persons to file their applications, the timeline for filing applications would now be till 26th June, 2023, it stated.

The timeline is being extended to facilitate and provide ample opportunity to the pensioners/members so as to to ease out any difficulty being faced by them.

This has been decided after sympathetically considering the various demands received from employees, employers and their associations, it stated.