Apart from the measures announced under PM CARES scheme for children, the Centre has announced more measures to help families who have lost the earning member due to COVID-19.
These measures will provide pension to families of those who died due to the disease and an enhanced and liberalised insurance compensation.
A PMO release said that family pension will be given to dependents of those who lost their lives due to COVID-19 under Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC). Insurance benefits under the EDLI scheme have also been enhanced and liberalized.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the government stands in solidarity with the affected families. He also said that through these schemes, efforts are being made to mitigate financial difficulties that may be faced by them.
The release said that to help family live a life of dignity and maintain a good standard of living, benefit of ESIC pension scheme for employment related death cases is being extended to those who have died due to COVID-19.
Dependent family members of such persons will be entitled to benefit of pension equivalent to 90 per cent of average daily wage drawn by the worker as per the existing norms.
"This benefit will be available retrospectively with effect from March 24, 2020 and for all such cases till March 24, 2022.
The release said that insurance benefits under Employees Provident Fund Organization- Employees' Deposit Linked Insurance Scheme (EDLI) have been enhanced and liberalized.
"Apart from all other beneficiaries, this will in particular help the families of employees who have lost their lives due to COVID. Amount of maximum insurance benefit has been increased from Rs 6 lakh to Rs 7 lakh. The provision of minimum insurance benefit of Rs 2.5 lakh has been restored and will apply retrospectively from February 15, 2020 for the next three years," it said.
The release said that to benefit families of contractual/ casual workers, the condition of continuous employment in only one establishment has been liberalized, with benefit being made available to families of even those employees who may have changed jobs in the last 12 months preceding his death.
( With inputs from ANI )
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