# EOBI pension: who qualifies, how much you get and how to apply

URL: https://which.pk/money/guides/eobi-pension/
Author: Ahtisham
Updated: 17 Oct 2026

## Summary

The EOBI pension is the state old-age pension for private-sector workers at employers registered with EOBI. You qualify at 60 (55 for women) with 15 years of paid contributions. The minimum is Rs 11,500 a month from 1 Jan 2025 (EOBI's own page still shows Rs 10,000); we found no increase in the 2026-27 budget, and EOBI said in August 2026 that any rise depends on an actuarial assessment. With at least 2 but under 15 years you get a lump-sum grant instead.

## Key facts

- Minimum pension: Rs 11,500 a month
- Pension age: 60 men, 55 women
- Contributions needed: 15 years
- Your share: 1% of minimum wage

The EOBI pension is a monthly old-age pension for private-sector workers, paid by the Employees' Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI). You qualify at **60 (55 for women) with 15 years of paid contributions**. As of October 2026 the minimum is **Rs 11,500 a month**, effective from 1 Jan 2025. We found no increase in the 2026-27 budget.

**Minimum EOBI pension:** Rs 11,500 a month (Effective from 1 Jan 2025. No further increase announced as of 17 Oct 2026.)

## Has EOBI pension increased in 2026?

No, not as of 17 October 2026. The last increase was approved by the federal cabinet in July and August 2025:

- The **minimum pension rose from Rs 10,000 to Rs 11,500** a month.
- Pensions worked out by formula rose **15%**.
- Both took effect from **1 Jan 2025**. About 500,000 pensioners were due to get the higher amount, with arrears, on 1 Sep 2025, Dawn reported.

In August 2026, EOBI answered social media demands for a fresh increase. It said any rise "is subject to the financial position of the Pension Fund and the outcome of the required actuarial assessment", under section 21 of the EOB Act. We found no EOBI change in the 2026-27 budget.

**The sources disagree on the minimum.** EOBI's own [pension page](http://www.eobi.gov.pk/introduction/Pension.html) still said "Minimum Rs. 10,000" when we checked on 17 Oct 2026. [Dawn](https://www.dawn.com/news/1938573) reported on 31 Aug 2025 that the cabinet raised it to Rs 11,500 from 1 Jan 2025.

We use Rs 11,500 because EOBI's August 2026 statement, reported by [The Express Tribune](https://tribune.com.pk/story/2626343/eobi-says-pension-hike-subject-to-assessment), confirms the 15% rise from 1 Jan 2025, so we treat the Rs 10,000 page as out of date. If your payment differs, ask EOBI.

**Ignore 'notification PDF' posts:** Many websites claim a 2026 EOBI increase or a Rs 20,000 minimum. None that we found cites an EOBI or ministry notice. The 2025 increase was approved by the federal cabinet and announced by Federal Minister Chaudhry Salik Hussain, Dawn reported. Wait for a cabinet decision or an EOBI statement before you believe a post.

## Who qualifies for EOBI pension?

You must have been an insured employee: someone working for an employer registered with EOBI. The EOB Act 1976 covers every business with **10 or more employees**, and a smaller one can join voluntarily. Directors of limited companies are not covered.

EOBI pays four kinds of benefit:

| Benefit | Who gets it | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Old-age pension | You, at 60 (men) or 55 (women) | 15 years of paid contributions |
| Old-age grant | You, at the same ages | At least 2 but under 15 years of contributions; paid once, as a lump sum |
| Invalidity pension | You, before pension age, if permanently disabled | 15 years, or 5 years including 3 of the last 5 |
| Survivor's pension | Your spouse, then minor children, sometimes parents | You die after 36 months of insured work, or after 5 years if you had left the job |

Miners with 10 years in mining just before retirement can claim 5 years earlier. If your employer has a lower fixed retirement age, you can take a **reduced pension** from 55 (50 for women). It is cut by 0.5% for each month short of 60 (55), for life.

## How much EOBI pension will I get?

The formula in the Act's Schedule is:

**(average monthly wage × years of insured work) ÷ 50**

The average wage is taken over the 12 months before you qualify, and 6 months or more counts as a full year. Contributions, and so the pension, are worked out on the **minimum wage**, not your actual salary: the Act defines wages as the minimum wage, and EOBI's page says "average minimum monthly wages". If the formula gives less than Rs 11,500, you get Rs 11,500.

Our worked examples use Rs 40,000, the minimum wage in Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from 1 Jul 2025 according to Vialto Partners (October 2025):

| Years of contributions | Formula | Monthly pension |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | 40,000 × 15 ÷ 50 | Rs 12,000 |
| 20 | 40,000 × 20 ÷ 50 | Rs 16,000 |
| 30 | 40,000 × 30 ÷ 50 | Rs 24,000 |

These are our calculations and leave out later increases. Dawn reported that long-serving pensioners can get over Rs 30,000 a month after the 2025 rise.

**Old-age grant:** with 10 years of contributions at a Rs 40,000 average wage, the lump sum would be 10 × Rs 40,000 = Rs 4 lakh.

## Who pays the contributions?

Mostly your employer. You pay **1% of the minimum wage** each month, and your employer can't deduct its own share from your pay.

**The sources disagree on the employer's share.** The Act text on EOBI's website, last updated for the Finance Act 2005, says 6%. Vialto Partners' October 2025 payroll alert says 5%. We couldn't confirm which rate EOBI applies now, so ask your employer or EOBI.

Vialto put the monthly amounts from 1 Jul 2025 at **Rs 400 from you and Rs 2,000 from the employer** in Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where the minimum wage was Rs 40,000. In Balochistan it was Rs 370 and Rs 1,850.

If you paid your own 1% regularly, the Act says your pension isn't affected by your employer failing to pay its share.

## How do I apply for EOBI pension?

You apply at your EOBI regional office on its old-age pension form, which you can download from eobi.gov.pk. Apply within 12 months of becoming eligible. After that your right lapses unless EOBI accepts your reason for the delay, and arrears are paid for at most 6 months before the month you apply.

The form lists these documents:

- 3 attested copies of your CNIC, both sides.
- A copy of your spouse's CNIC attested by a grade-17 officer, or a death certificate or affidavit if your spouse has died.
- 4 recent attested photographs.
- A service certificate and an age certificate from your employer.
- Your EOBI registration card.
- A wage statement.

If your employer has closed down, the form accepts other proof of work, such as an appointment letter, pay slips, a provident fund statement or a service book.

## How can I check my EOBI pension status?

EOBI's Facilitation System at **fs2e.eobi.gov.pk** has two reports: **Employment History**, which shows the contributions on your record, and **Pension Claim Status**. EOBI says individual queries work Monday to Friday, 9 am to 7 pm.

The helpdesk number is **021-34328037**, from 8 am to 4 pm. EOBI's website only opened for us over plain http, not https, on 17 Oct 2026.

## Is the EOBI fund safe?

It is under strain. The 11th actuarial valuation found the fund **Rs 2.517 trillion short** of its accrued liabilities as of 30 Jun 2022, The Nukta reported. EOBI paid Rs 51 billion in pensions in 2022-23 and collected Rs 40 billion in contributions.

This is why EOBI ties any new increase to an actuarial review. An EOBI pension alone is small, so it makes sense to save on top of it, for example in a voluntary [pension fund](/money/guides/pension-fund-pakistan/). From 60, [Behbood Savings Certificates](/money/guides/behbood-savings-certificates/) are another option for retirement savings.

More guides: [BISP and 8171](/money/guides/bisp-8171/), [investment options in Pakistan](/money/guides/investment-options-pakistan/), [National Savings certificates compared](/money/guides/national-savings-certificates/), [income tax slabs 2026-27](/business/guides/income-tax-slabs-2026-27/), [Investing](/money/investing/).

## Questions people ask

### Has EOBI pension increased in 2026?

Not as of 17 Oct 2026. The last rise was 15%, approved in August 2025 and backdated to 1 Jan 2025, which took the minimum to Rs 11,500. EOBI said in August 2026 that any further rise depends on an actuarial assessment of its fund.

### How can I check my EOBI pension status online?

EOBI's Facilitation System at fs2e.eobi.gov.pk has a Pension Claim Status report and an Employment History report. If it doesn't work, call the helpdesk on 021-34328037 between 8 am and 4 pm.

### What if I have less than 15 years of EOBI contributions?

With at least 2 years, you get an old-age grant instead of a pension: a lump sum of one month's average wage for each completed year of insured work.

### Can I get EOBI pension while living abroad?

Usually not. The EOB Act suspends old-age and survivor's pensions while the pensioner is absent from Pakistan, unless EOBI's regulations allow otherwise.

### What does EOBI pension mean in Urdu?

EOBI's own Urdu claim form calls the old-age pension zaeef-ul-umri pension (ضعیف العمری پنشن). It is a monthly pension for retired private-sector workers, paid by the Employees' Old-Age Benefits Institution.

## Sources

- [EOBI Law: Employees' Old-Age Benefits Act, 1976](http://www.eobi.gov.pk/rules/eobilaw.html), Employees' Old-Age Benefits Institution (accessed 17 Oct 2026)
- [Benefits/Pension](http://www.eobi.gov.pk/introduction/Pension.html), Employees' Old-Age Benefits Institution (accessed 17 Oct 2026)
- [EOBI home page](http://www.eobi.gov.pk/), Employees' Old-Age Benefits Institution (accessed 17 Oct 2026)
- [Individual Information (Facilitation System)](http://www.eobi.gov.pk/eobifs/info-ind.htm), Employees' Old-Age Benefits Institution (accessed 17 Oct 2026)
- [Application for old-age/invalidity pension (form)](http://www.eobi.gov.pk/announcement/Pension-Account/old%20age-form.pdf), Employees' Old-Age Benefits Institution (accessed 17 Oct 2026)
- [Govt increases EOBI pensions by 15pc](https://www.dawn.com/news/1938573), Dawn (accessed 17 Oct 2026)
- [Cabinet nod for 15pc hike in EOBI pensions](https://www.dawn.com/news/1924688), Dawn (accessed 17 Oct 2026)
- [EOBI says pension hike subject to assessment](https://tribune.com.pk/story/2626343/eobi-says-pension-hike-subject-to-assessment), The Express Tribune (accessed 17 Oct 2026)
- [Pakistan plans 15% increase in pensions for retired workers under EOBI scheme](https://nukta.com/eobi-pension-increase), The Nukta (accessed 17 Oct 2026)
- [Pakistan social security update: minimum wages, EOBI and social security](https://vialtopartners.com/regional-alerts/pakistan-social-security-update-minimum-wages-eobi-and-social-security), Vialto Partners (accessed 17 Oct 2026)