The most recent PPF, SCSS and Submit Workplace Time period Deposit Modification Guidelines 2023 had been launched on seventh November 2023. Few guidelines are investor-friendly and few are harsh.
The federal government notified these adjustments on seventh November 2023. As I discussed above, few guidelines with respect to PPF and SCSS look investor-friendly. Nevertheless, the brand new guidelines with respect to a 5-year time period deposit look too harsh. Allow us to see all these adjustments intimately.
PPF, SCSS and Submit Workplace Time period Deposit Modification Guidelines 2023
1) PPF or Public Provident Fund (Modification) Scheme, 2023
Let me clarify to you at first the present guidelines of PPF untimely withdrawal guidelines (I wrote an article on this “Untimely Closure Of PPF Account – New Guidelines 2016“).
You might be allowed for untimely closure of your account or for the account the place you’re a guardian for minors or an individual of unsound thoughts by submitting Type-5. You might be allowed for untimely closure just for the under causes.
(a) Remedy for a life-threatening illness of the account holder, his partner or dependent kids or dad and mom, on the manufacturing of supporting paperwork and medical reviews confirming such illness from the treating medical authority.
(b) Greater schooling of the account holder, or dependent kids on the manufacturing of paperwork and price payments in affirmation of admission in a acknowledged institute of upper schooling in India or overseas.
(c) In case your residential standing adjustments, then you might be allowed for untimely closure on the manufacturing of the copy of your Passport and visa or Revenue-tax return.
Together with that, please be aware the under factors to grasp extra concerning the untimely shut of PPF account guidelines.
# You might be allowed to shut the account earlier than maturity if the account is accomplished 5 years from the top of the 12 months wherein the account was opened. This rule will not be relevant to the loss of life of the account holder.
# Concerning the quantity required for the therapy of great illnesses or life-threatening ailments, you should produce supporting paperwork from the competent medical authority.
# Concerning the quantity required for greater schooling, you should produce the paperwork of price payments in affirmation of admission in a acknowledged institute of upper schooling in India or ABROAD.
The previous guidelines could be tabulated with the under instance.
What has modified NOW?
The sooner sentence was “Offered additional that on such untimely closure, curiosity within the account shall be allowed at a price which shall be decrease by one %. than the speed at which curiosity has been credited within the account infrequently for the reason that date of opening of the account, or the date of extension of the account, because the case could also be“.
The brand new sentence might be “Offered additional that on such untimely closure, curiosity within the account shall be allowed at a price which shall be decrease by one %. than the speed at which curiosity has been credited within the account infrequently for the reason that date of opening of the account, or from the date of graduation of the present block interval of 5 years“.
It means earlier allow us to assume that your account is round 17 years previous, and in case you want to shut the account, then you’ll obtain 1% much less curiosity on regardless of the curiosity credited for the entire 17 years. Nevertheless, as a result of new rule, there is not going to be any 1% deduction for the 15-year interval. The curiosity credited on the sixteenth and seventeenth 12 months will solely be lower than 1%.
Identical approach allow us to assume that your account is round 24 years previous, and in case you want to shut the account, then you’ll obtain 1% much less curiosity on regardless of the curiosity credit score is for the interval of the twenty first 12 months to the twenty fourth 12 months. There is not going to be any change in curiosity for no matter you earned as much as 20 years (15 years common time period and 5 years 1st extension).
The penalty of 1% much less curiosity might be relevant for the present block solely. The sooner curiosity collected both from the 15 years or from the sooner block of 5 years is not going to be impacted.
This appears to be a BIG reduction for these whose PPF account accomplished greater than 15 years. Nevertheless, this new change is not going to impression to these whose account is lower than 15 years previous.
2) Senior Citizen’s Financial savings (Fourth Modification) Scheme, 2023
When it comes to SCSS, there are few adjustments in guidelines launched and I’ll share the identical one after the other.
a) You possibly can lengthen SCSS so long as you WISH!!
Earlier the extension for SCSS was allowed solely as soon as. Now you may lengthen the SCSS after the completion of 5 years as many occasions as you want for within the block of three years. That is actually a very good transfer for senior residents.
b) Penalty and liquidity for untimely withdrawal throughout prolonged SCSS
Earlier through the prolonged SCSS interval, you might be allowed to withdraw the quantity after one 12 months with none penalty. Nevertheless, now you might be allowed to withdraw earlier than one 12 months. However you must pay a 1% penalty on the deposited quantity.
This implies liquidity is supplied within the sixth 12 months which was not there earlier however comes with a 1% penalty.
c) Rest to open the account for these whose age is 55 years to 60 years and who acquired retirement advantages
The sooner rule of eligibility to open SCSS was as under.
# A person who attained the age of 60 years of age or above on the date of account opening.
# A person who attained the age of 55 years or extra however lower than 60 years of age and has retired on superannuation or underneath a voluntary or particular voluntary scheme. However they’ll open this account solely on the situation that the account is opened inside one month of receipt of retirement advantages and the quantity shouldn’t exceed the quantity of retirement profit.
# Retired personnel of Defence Providers (excluding civilian Defence staff) on attaining the age of fifty years topic to the achievement of different specified circumstances.
# NRIs and HUF usually are not eligible to open this account.
What has modified NOW?
Beneath are the adjustments.
# A person who attained the age of 55 years or extra however lower than 60 years of age and has retired on superannuation or underneath a voluntary or particular voluntary scheme. However they’ll open this account solely on the situation that the account is opened inside THREE MONTHS of receipt of retirement advantages and the quantity shouldn’t exceed the quantity of retirement profit.
Earlier the time restrict was one month to open however not it’s elevated to a few months. Extra flexibility for senior residents.
b) The partner of a Authorities worker can open the SCSS account
The sooner rule was as under.
“The successor or authorized inheritor of a deceased serving personnel shall not be eligible to deposit the terminal
advantages of such deceased personnel underneath this Scheme.”
The present rule is as under.
“The partner of the federal government worker shall be allowed to open an account underneath this Scheme, if the federal government worker who has attained the age of fifty years and has died in harness, topic to the achievement of different specified circumstances.”
It means if a authorities worker dies whereas working and is 50 years and above, then his partner is allowed to open the account.
Due to this, the definition of retirement advantages has additionally modified. The sooner definition was ” “retirement advantages” means any fee as a result of account holder on account of retirement on superannuation or in any other case and contains Provident Fund dues, retirement or superannuation gratuity, commuted worth of pension, money equal of depart, financial savings aspect of Group Financial savings Linked Insurance coverage Scheme payable by the employer on retirement, retirement-cum withdrawal profit underneath the Workers’ Household Pension Scheme and ex-gratia funds underneath a voluntary or a particular voluntary retirement scheme.”.
The brand new definition of retirement profit is “retirement advantages” means any fee as a result of account holder on account of retirement on superannuation or in any other case and contains Provident Fund dues, retirement or superannuation or loss of life gratuity, commuted worth of pension, money equal of depart, financial savings aspect of Group Financial savings Linked Insurance coverage Scheme payable by the employer on retirement, retirement-cum-withdrawal profit underneath the Workers’ Household Pension Scheme and ex-gratia funds underneath a voluntary or a particular voluntary retirement scheme and in case, if the worker died in harness, the “retirement advantages” shall additionally imply the above-mentioned advantages to worker who died in harness.”
c) Default continuation not allowed in joint account SCSS
The sooner rule was “Offered additional that in case of a joint account, or the place the partner is the only real nominee, the partner might proceed the account on the identical phrases and circumstances as specified underneath this Scheme if the partner meets eligibility circumstances underneath the Scheme on the date of loss of life of the account holder.”
The brand new rule is “Offered additional that in case of a joint account, or the place the partner is the only real nominee, the partner might proceed the account by making use of to the accounts workplace, on the identical phrases and circumstances as specified underneath this Scheme, if the partner meets eligibility circumstances underneath the Scheme on the date of loss of life of the account holder”.
It means the surviving partner has to use for the continuation of the account with out which I believe it’s not acceptable.
3) Nationwide Financial savings Time Deposit (Fourth Modification) Scheme, 2023
Beneath this, the brand new guidelines are launched strictly in direction of the 5 12 months time period deposit liquidity. I believe it’s too harsh.
a) 5 years time period deposit liquidity curtailed
The sooner rule was “the place a deposit in a one-year, two-year, three-year or five-year account is withdrawn prematurely after six months, however earlier than the expiry of 1 12 months from the date of deposit, curiosity shall be payable to the account holder on the price relevant to Submit Workplace Financial savings Account for the finished months;”
The rule is “the place a deposit in a one-year, two-year or three-year account is withdrawn prematurely after six months, however earlier than the expiry of 1 12 months from the date of deposit, curiosity shall be payable to the account holder on the price relevant to Submit Workplace Financial savings Account for the finished months;”.
Therefore, it’s now clear {that a} 5-year time period deposit can’t be liquidated after six months however earlier than the expiry of a 12 months. Even a 5-year deposit withdrawal situation after one 12 months can also be eliminated.
In line with a brand new rule, the liquidity for a 5-year deposit is allowed solely after 4 years of completion. However once more the principles are stricter now with enormous penalties. Earlier in case you shut the deposit after 4th 12 months, then you might be allowed to earn the rate of interest relevant for 3 years time period deposit. Nevertheless, now you’ll earn the rate of interest relevant to the Submit Workplace Financial savings Account.
