ESIC Members Can File Claims to Get Unemployment Benefit Under ABKY, Says Labour Ministry

The Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) subscribers who lost their job due to the COVID-19 situation can claim unemployment relief of 50 per cent of wages under the Atal Bimit Kalyan Yojana. The ESIC has issued instructions for submission of claims by the affected workers to claim relief under recently expanded Atal Beemit Kalyan Yojana in which relief is to be paid to those members who lost their job, a labour ministry statement said on Thursday. The claims to get the relief can be made online along with submission of the physical claim with an affidavit, photocopy of Aadhaar card and bank account details to the designated ESIC branch office by post or in person, it added.

The ESIC under the chairmanship of Labour Minister Santosh Kumar Gangwar has taken the decision to extend the scheme of Atal Beemit Kalyan Yojana for another one year i.e. from July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021, the statement said. "It has also been decided to enhance the rate of unemployment relief under the scheme to 50 per cent of wages from earlier rate of 25 per cent along with relaxation of eligibility conditions for insured workers who have lost their employment due to COVID-19 pandemic and related lockdown," the ministry said.

Under the existing guidelines, claim for the unemployment benefit was required to be submitted through the employer. Gangwar said in the statement that in a significant relaxation, claim can now be submitted directly to the designated ESIC branch office. The enhanced benefit and relaxed conditions are applicable during the period of March 24, 2020 to December 31, 2020. A notification to this intent has been issued, the ministry stated. The relief will be paid directly to the bank accounts of workers. The labour minister, while lauding the efforts of the ESIC, said that at present, the ESIC is providing benefits /services to about 3.49 crore of family units of workers and providing matchless cash benefits and reasonable medical care to its 13.56 crore beneficiaries, the statement noted. Today, the ESIC infrastructure has increased many folds with 1,520 dispensaries (including mobile dispensaries)/307 ISM (Indian system of medicine) units and 159 ESI hospitals, 793 branch/pay offices and 64 regional and sub-regional offices and implemented in 566 districts in 34 states/union territories, it added.