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Budget 2026 expectations: Days before the presentation of the Union Budget 2026 various speculations around tax benefits and pension are in rounds. From talks around government restoring concession on railway ticket fees to further GST rate cuts and tax reliefs the finance market of India is full of speculations. Adding to the speculations is the long-pending demand to raise the minimum pension under the Employees’ Pension Scheme (EPS) 1995. Whats demand regarding Employees’ Pension Scheme? EPS-95 pensioners have been long demanding that the minimum monthly pension be raised from Rs 1000 to Rs 7500. Arguing that the current amount is far too low to survive on amid rising prices the pensioner say the hike is essential to ensure a dignified livelihood for retirees. However the long-simmering demand to raise the minimum pension under the Employees’ Pension Scheme (EPS) 1995 has once again hit a wall. With the Modi government making it clear that no immediate relief is on the horizon for pensioners struggling to make ends meet chances are less but it remains to be seen whether the government will change its mind during the Budget 2026-2027. What did Ministry of Labour and Employment say on EPS pension demand? Replying to a question in the Rajya Sabha the Ministry of Labour and Employment said there is currently no separate proposal or fixed timeline to hike the minimum EPS pension from the existing Rs 1000 to Rs 7500 underlining that any such move must be weighed against the long-term financial sustainability of the pension fund. Read more: Union Budget 2026: FM Nirmala Sitharaman set to script history with 9th consecutive budget; Meet the five key officials responsible for preparing the financial statement The issue was flagged by Rajya Sabha MP Dr Medha Vishram Kulkarni who drew attention to the mounting hardship faced by EPS-95 pensioners particularly in the context of rising inflation and living costs a report carried by the Financial Express said. EPFO gives employers 6-month window to enroll employees for provident fund cover In another big development on the issue the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) had urged employers to avail of its special enrolment scheme which provides a six-month compliance window to voluntarily enrol eligible employees who were left out of EPF coverage in the earlier period from July 1 2017 to October 31 2025 a report by IANS news agency said. For those unversed the EPFO launched the Employees’ Enrolment Scheme (EES)-2025 -- a special one-time facilitation initiative aimed at expanding EPF coverage and regularising past instances of non-compliance. (With inputs from agencies)