How EPF, EPS, NPS, UPS, PPF and SCSS work in 2026, what they cost and which rules changed in 2025–26.
India's retirement system is a stack of separate schemes, each with its own law, regulator and exit rules. Salaried workers in covered establishments save through the Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) and earn a pension under the Employees' Pension Scheme (EPS), both run by EPFO. Since mid-2026 these sit under new schemes made under the Code on Social Security, 2020, and the mandatory wage ceiling has been raised from ₹15,000 to ₹25,000 a month. Everyone else, and government staff who joined after 2004, rely on the National Pension System (NPS), regulated by PFRDA, whose exit rules were rewritten in December 2025. Central government employees can instead choose the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS), in force since 1 April 2025. Small-savings products such as PPF and SCSS fill the gaps.
Start with the overview of retirement schemes in 2026. Then read the scheme you belong to: EPF contributions and the wage ceiling, EPS pension rules, NPS Tier I and Tier II, NPS exit and withdrawal rules, the Unified Pension Scheme, NPS charges and PPF, SCSS and PMVVY for retirees.
Rules here are described as we understand them in October 2026. Interest rates on PPF and SCSS are reset every quarter and the EPF rate every year, so always confirm the current figure on the official portal.
Pension rules, charges and 2026 changes
How much goes into your EPF and EPS each month in 2026, what the higher ₹25,000 wage ceiling changes, and how to read the split on your salary slip.
Pension rules, charges and 2026 changes
How the Employees' Pension Scheme works in 2026: 10-year rule, the ÷70 formula, early pension from 50, family pension, scheme certificates and withdrawal benefit.
Pension rules, charges and 2026 changes
Which pension schemes apply to you in 2026, how each one pays out, and the rule changes of 2025–26 you should know before you plan retirement income.
Pension rules, charges and 2026 changes
What NPS really costs you: the pension fund fee slabs from April 2026, CRA account charges, PoP charges on contributions, and how small percentages add up over decades.
Pension rules, charges and 2026 changes
The new NPS exit rules explained: normal exit, premature exit, corpus slabs of ₹5, ₹8 and ₹12 lakh, government vs private subscribers, partial withdrawals and deferral to 85.
Pension rules, charges and 2026 changes
How NPS accounts work in 2026: who can join, Tier I versus Tier II, active and auto choice, fund managers, minimum contributions and how to open or move an account.
Pension rules, charges and 2026 changes
PPF's 15-year lock-in and 7.1% rate, SCSS's ₹30 lakh limit and quarterly interest, why PMVVY is closed, and how retirees use these schemes in 2026.
Pension rules, charges and 2026 changes
How the Unified Pension Scheme for central government employees works since 1 April 2025: payout formula, contributions, family pension, lump sum and the one-way switch to NPS.
