Govt extends deadline for opting into Unified Pension Scheme till 30 September 2025; check details here

The Government of India has extended the cut-off date for exercising the option under the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) by three months, moving the deadline from 30 June 2025 to 30 September 2025. This extension applies to eligible existing Central Government employees, past retirees, and the legally wedded spouses of deceased past retirees.

The Unified Pension Scheme was officially notified by the Ministry of Finance on 24 January 2025. To implement the scheme, the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) issued the PFRDA (Operationalisation of the Unified Pension Scheme under NPS) Regulations, 2025 on 19 March 2025.

Originally, the regulations provided a three-month window ending on 30 June 2025 for eligible individuals to opt into the scheme. However, in response to numerous representations from stakeholders requesting more time, the government has agreed to provide a further extension.

This move aims to ensure that all eligible individuals, including families of deceased retirees, have sufficient time to evaluate and make an informed decision about opting into the scheme, the government said.

Few days ago, the Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare has issued detailed instructions for Central Government civil employees opting for the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) regarding the option to avail benefits under the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) in case of: Death of the government employee during service, or Discharge from service on account of invalidation or disablement.

Under the newly issued guidelines, Central Government employees who opt for UPS will now have the right to choose benefits under the Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 2021 or the CCS (Extraordinary Pension) Rules, 2023 in the event of death or permanent disablement.