The Centre on Saturday announced welfare measures, including a pension to those families who have lost their earning members due to the Covid-19.

In addition to the measures announced under PM CARES for Children- Empowerment of Covid affected children, the government has announced further measures to help families who have lost the earning member due to Covid, a Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) statement said.

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“They will provide pension to families of those who died due to Covid and an enhanced and liberalised insurance compensation.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that his government stands in solidarity with their families and through these schemes, efforts are being made to mitigate financial difficulties that may be faced by them.

To help families live a life of dignity and maintain a good standard of living, the government has extended the benefit of Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) pension scheme for employment related death cases is being extended to even those who have died due to Covid.

“Dependent family members of such persons will be entitled to the 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 insurance benefits under the Employees Provident Fund Organization- Employees’ Deposit Linked Insurance (EDLI) scheme 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.The amount of maximum insurance benefit has been increased from Rs six lakh to Rs seven 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.

“To benefit families of contractual or 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,” the PMO said adding that detailed guidelines of these schemes are being issued by the Ministry of Labour and Employment.