UNORGANISED WORKERS PENSION SCHEME.

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According to the Ministry of Labour & Employment, nearly 46 lakh Unorganised Workers (UW) have been registered under the Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maandhan (PM-SYM) pension scheme.

Unorganised Workers

• UWs are mostly engaged as rickshaw pullers, street vendors, mid-day meal workers, head loaders, brick kiln workers, cobblers, rag pickers, domestic workers, washer men, home-based workers, own account workers, agricultural workers, construction workers, beedi workers, handloom workers, leather workers, audio- visual workers or in similar other occupations.
• There are estimated 45 crore such unorganised workers in the country.

Important points:

• PM-SYM is a Central Sector Scheme administered by the Ministry of Labour and Employment and implemented through Life Insurance Corporation of India and Community Service Centers (CSCs).
• LIC (Life Insurance Corporation) is the Pension Fund Manager and responsible for Pension pay out.

Eligibility:

1. Should be an Unorganised Worker (UW).
2. Monthly Income Rs 15000 or below.
3. Entry age between 18 and 40 years.
4. Should possess a mobile phone, savings bank account and Aadhaar number.
5. Should not be covered under New Pension Scheme (NPS), Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) scheme or Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO).
6. Should not be an income tax payer.

Salient Features:

• Each subscriber shall receive a minimum assured pension of Rs 3000/- per month after attaining the age of 60 years.
• During the receipt of pension, if the subscriber dies, the spouse of the beneficiary shall be entitled to receive 50% of the pension received by the beneficiary as family pension. Family pension is applicable only to spouses.
• If a beneficiary has given regular contribution and died due to any cause (before age of 60 years), his/her spouse will be entitled to join and continue the scheme subsequently by payment of regular contribution or exit the scheme as per provisions of exit and withdrawal.
• The subscriber’s contributions shall be made through ‘auto-debit’ facility from his/ her savings bank account/ Jan- Dhan account.
• PM-SYM functions on a 50:50 basis where prescribed age-specific contribution shall be made by the beneficiary and the matching contribution by the Central Government.

SOURCE: THE HINDU, THE ECONOMIC TIMES,MINT