The Centre has issued a big clarification for those parents who receive a family pension after the death of their son/daughter, who was a government employee.
From now on, both parents will have to submit their life certificates every year to continue getting the enhanced rate of family pension, according to a recent order from the Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare (DoPPW).
“When the government servant dies as a bachelor or as a widower without, children, dependent pension shall be admissible to the parents without reference to pecuniary circumstances, at the rate of 75% of pay last drawn by the deceased government servant for both parents and at the rate of 60% of pay last drawn by the deceased government servant for a single parent and on the death of one parent dependent pension at the latter rate shall be admissible to the surviving parent,” the DoPPW, which comes under the Ministry of Personnel, PG & Pensions, said.
At present, there is no provision for the submission of the life certificate by both parents in CCS (Pension) Rules for receiving family pension at an enhanced rate in case of the government employee’s death. “In the absence of such a provision in rules, life certificates are not being submitted by both parents, resulting in continuation of payment of enhanced family pension at a higher rate even after the death of one of the parents in a few cases,” the government said.
Why the enhanced family pension is given
Under the CCS (EOP) Rules, 2023, parents can receive family pension if the deceased government employee has no surviving spouse or children. The pension amount depends on how many parents are alive:
When both parents are alive, they receive 75% of the family pension.
When only one parent survives, the pension amount becomes 60%.
This pension is given even if the parents have other sources of income.
However, until now, there was no system to check whether both parents were still alive while paying the higher 75% rate. As a result, some families continued receiving extra pension even after one parent had died.
What changes now
The government has now clarified that both parents must submit their life certificates every year. This will help the pension office ensure that only the eligible parent is receiving the correct amount.
This new rule will avoid mistakes and ensure that pension funds are disbursed accurately.
Impact on pensioners
Parents receiving family pension must now:
Submit their life certificates every year.
Make sure both parents submit them if they want to continue receiving the enhanced rate.
Understand that if one parent has passed away, the pension will automatically shift to the lower 60% rate.
The government has asked all departments to spread this message widely so families do not miss the requirement.
Life certificate deadline
All pensioners must submit their life certificate by November 30 each year.
If they miss this deadline, their pension may be temporarily stopped from December and will restart only after the life certificate is submitted and verified.
This change is meant to bring more accuracy and fairness to family pension payments, while ensuring that government records stay updated.
