Employees Can Now Submit Hard Copies Of Registration Form For Unified Pension Scheme

As per a circular (a copy of which was accessed by The Secretariat) issued by the Pension Fund Regulatory Development Authority (PFRDA), the provision is in addition to the existing online mode. The duly filled hard copy of the form can be submitted at the respective nodal office for further processing, on or before the deadline (September 30, 2025).

“As the last date for exercising the option for UPS is approaching, it is hereby brought to the notice of all subscribers that, if due to any reason, including the unavailability of the online system or any technical glitch in the Central Recordkeeping Agency (CRA) system, due to which the subscriber is unable to submit the UPS request online through the CRA system by September 30, 2025, the subscriber can submit the duly filled physical form at the nodal office concerned, on or before the due date,” the PFRDA stated in the circular.

The government has given its employees, who joined services between April 1, 2025, and August 31, 2025, the option to switch to the UPS, which was rolled out on April 1, 2025, under the National Pension System (NPS), on or before September 30, 2025.

Employees willing to opt for or switch to UPS can download the form from https://www.npscra.nsdl.co.in/ups.php, and submit it to the nodal office concerned on or before the last date.

Eligibility Criteria

UPS operates within the existing NPS structure, which is regulated by the PFRDA. It is applicable to both serving and retired employees under specific conditions.

Those eligible include existing employees under NPS (as on April 1, 2025); recruits joining the government service on or after April 1, 2025; retired NPS subscribers who superannuated or retired on or before March 31, 2025 (with a condition that they have served in the government for 10 years and retired not as penalty); and, in case of the subscriber’s demise, legally wedded spouse, as on the date of retirement.

Benefits under UPS

The benefits under UPS include: assured payout at the rate of 50 per cent of the last 12 months’ average basic pay immediately before superannuation. The assured payout is payable after a minimum of 25 years of qualifying service. In case of a lesser qualifying service period, a proportionate payout would be admissible.

Further, it entitles a minimum guaranteed payout of Rs. 10,000 per month (after 10 years of service), and a proportionate payout between 10 and 25 years of service.

It also has a family payout of 60 per cent of the subscriber’s admissible payout to their legally wedded spouse, as of the date of retirement.

The dearness relief would be payable on both admissible payout and family payout, as notified by the government.

The gratuity benefits – retirement gratuity and death gratuity – are extended to UPS subscribers under the CCS (Payment of Gratuity under NPS) Rules, 2021.