New Delhi [India], May 30 (ANI): The Ministry of Finance, on Friday, announced that subscribers under the National Pension Scheme (NPS) who have retired on or before March 31, 2025, with a minimum of 10 years of qualifying service, or their legally wedded spouse, shall be eligible to claim additional benefits under the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS).These UPS benefits will be provided in addition to the NPS benefits already claimed by the subscribers.Eligible retirees who retired before 31st March 2025, under the NPS, are either eligible for a one-time payment equal to one-tenth of their last Basic Pay + DA for every completed 6 months of service or a monthly top-up if their NPS pension is less than the UPS amount plus Dearness Relief. Additionally, arrears with simple interest as per the applicable Public Provident Fund (PPF) rates.According to the ministry, subscribers and their spouses can claim these benefits through the physical mode, which involves visiting their respective Drawing and Disbursing Officer (DDO) and submitting the relevant form. Online mode which include visiting the website www.npscra.nsdl.co.in/ups.php to fill out the online form, can also be used to claim these befits.

The last date to claim these UPS benefits is June 30, 2025, the statement by Finance ministry said.The Delhi Government is planning to increase the monthly pension for senior citizens and persons with disabilities by Rs 500 to provide additional financial support to these sections.Earlier this year, the NSO said that over 6.4 crore new subscribers joined EPF and ESI schemes between September 2017 and November 2019 and over 16 lakh new subscribers joined the National Pension Scheme during the period. (ANI)