The government on Thursday gave some relief to employees who lost their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic. The government will give 50% of salary for three months as unemployment allowance to lakhs of industrial workers who are members of the Employees State Insurance Corporation and lost their jobs. The allowance will be paid to those who lost jobs between March 24 and December 31 this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
This move will benefit nearly 40 lakh industrial workers. According to the statement, the ESIC has decided to extend the scheme for one more year up to June 30, 2021. ”
It has been decided to relax the existing conditions and the amount of relief for workers who have lost employment during the COVID-19 pandemic period,” the statement says.
The ESIC board has approved relaxation in eligibility criteria and enhancement in the payment of unemployment benefit under its Atal Bimit Vyakti Kalyan Yojana, the statement added. It is implementing the Atal Bimit Vyakti Kalyna Yojna under which unemployment benefit is paid to the workers covered under ESI scheme.
The review of these (relaxed) conditions will be done after December 31 this year depending upon the need and demand for such relaxed condition, it said.
ESIC has also relaxed the eligibility criteria and the allowance will now be payable in 90 days, instead of the 30 day period earlier. An ESIC member can submit the unemployment claim directly to the ESIC branch office instead of the claim being forwarded by the last employer and the payment shall be made directly in the bank account of insured person.
The employees should know that they must have insurable employment for a minimum period of 2 years before his/her employment and should have contributed for not less than 78 days in the contribution period immediately preceding to unemployment and minimum 78 days in one of the remaining 3 contribution periods in two years prior to unemployment, the statement said.
