Family pension: New rules on how daughters can claim pension amount of govt employee

Family pension: The Department of Pension and Pensioners' Welfare (DoPPW) has introduced new guidelines concerning the maintenance of records for family members of government pensioners. The directive specifies that a daughter's name cannot be struck off the list of eligible family members for a government servant's family pension.

Once a government employee includes his daughter's name on Form 4, she is officially recognised as a family member, regardless of her pension eligibility. A daughter remains eligible for the family pension until she gets married, remarries, gains employment, or experiences a mental or physical disability. 

Daughters who are unmarried, widowed, or divorced and are over the age of 25 may be eligible to receive a family pension, provided that their siblings are either above the age of 25 or financially independent. Notably, children with disabilities are given priority entitlement to the pension.

According to the regulations, upon commencement of service, a government employee must provide information regarding their family members, including spouse, children, parents, and disabled siblings (irrespective of their entitlement to a family pension). Additionally, the employee must update this information along with their pension documents prior to retirement.

“The daughter is deemed to be a member of the family of the government servant as and when intimated by the government servant in the prescribed proforma. Hence the name of the daughter shall remain included in the details of the family members,” the office memorandum said. It further clarified that eligibility for family pension will be decided after the death of pensioners/family pensioners, in accordance with rules.

Key revised details

> According to the guidelines, a daughter (except for those with a mental or physical disability) may receive a pension until marriage, remarriage, or the commencement of earning a living.

> As per the Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 2021, the definition of family encompasses unmarried, married, and widowed daughters, including stepdaughters and adopted daughters. Nonetheless, queries have been raised seeking clarity on the removal of a daughter's name from the list of family members post-retirement.

> In cases of ongoing divorce or legal proceedings, female employees or pensioners can apply for family pension benefits for their children in the event of their death. This also applies to protective cases against their husbands.

> If there are no eligible children alive at the time of the woman's death, the family pension will be received by the widower. The pension will initially be given to the widower if they are the legal guardian of any minor or disabled children.

> In the event that the widower loses guardianship, the pension will be managed by the appointed guardian.

Pension for adults 

Upon reaching adulthood, eligible children who still qualify for the pension will receive direct transfers.

In the event that all eligible children are no longer entitled under Rule 50, the widower will receive the family pension until they remarry or pass away.

This updated protocol guarantees a systematic allocation of pensions, with a focus on the well-being of children in different family situations.

In the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) for central government employees, the family pension rate is initially set at 30% of the deceased employee's final pay. However, if the employee had served for at least 7 years, the family pension may be increased to 50% of the last drawn pay. This enhanced rate of 50% will be given for a period of 7 years following the employee's passing or until the pensioner turns 67, whichever comes first. Beyond this period, the family pension will revert to the standard rate of 30% of the final pay.