What Is A Family Pension

What Is A Family Pension

Family pensions are a critical financial safety net for the family of newly deceased government employees.

Written by : Anamika Arora

Reviewed by : Akanksha Gangvany

Akanksha Gangvany

2022-06-06

447 Views

8 minutes read

The family pension is the money offered to the family of the government employee if they die while in service. The widow/widower is eligible to receive a pension from the government.

Family Pension Meaning

A family pension is given to the spouse of a government employee after their passing. If the partner of the government employee has also passed, the pension is granted to the children of the employee. To be eligible to receive the pension, employees must have begun their government service between January 1st, 1964, and December 31st, 2003. Employees who began their service before 1964 but are covered by the ‘Family Pension Scheme for Central Government Employees, 1964’ are also eligible to pass their pension to their family.

How Does the Family Pension Scheme Work?

Pension depends on the emoluments drawn by the employee while in government service. In this case, emoluments mean the basic pay. Where there is a variation in emoluments, the average of the basic pay in the last ten months of service is calculated. The pension amount is 50% of the basic pay or average basic pay, whichever is more beneficial.

The minimum monthly pension is ₹9000 per month, whereas the maximum upper limit is 50% of the highest pay in the government of India. Pension is payable until death.

Family Pension Rules

The surviving spouse or children who are below 25 years of age will be eligible for a family pension if such a government servant was in receipt of a pension and has:

  1. Died while in service on or after 01/01/1964 or
  2. Retired/died before 31.12.1963 or
  3. Retired on or after 01/01/1964

For example, Ramesh joined the Indian Defence Accounts Service (IDAS) as a Chartered Accountant in the year 1999. His family was thrilled when he joined this prestigious central government service at the age of 30. Little did they know what fate had in store for them.

In 2020, Ramesh passed away after a massive cardiac arrest, and that too while driving to work. His family was devastated. His family, while mourning him, also worried about the future of their children, which was at stake due to the lost income.

However, the Central Government provided family pensions in such events in 1972 with the Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules.

What are the Family Pension Rules After the Death of a Pensioner?

The Department of Pension and Pensioner’s Welfare (DoPPW) has laid down the rules for the family members claiming the pension:

  1. Show and submit the death certificate and pensioner’s Pension Payment Order (PPO) at the paying bank branch.
  2. If you have a bank account (or a joint account with the deceased spouse) in the same branch, then the documents above are enough to start a pension.
  3. The bank will ask for KYC documents such as PAN, Aadhaar, and joint photographs.
  4. The bank will start the pension after updating the pensioner's date of death.
  5. You receive half of the PPO back.
  6. After the process, the bank intimates CPPC and starts to credit the pension in your account.

Who Can Receive a Family Pension?

By default, the spouse/widow of the government servant is eligible to receive the pension. However, the following persons may also be eligible if the spouse is not present:

  • Dependent Children: Family policies are payable to children up to 25 years of age, or until they get married or until they start earning a monthly income exceeding. ₹9,000 + Dearness Allowance (DA) admissible from time to time p.m., whichever is earlier.
  • Daughters: Widow daughter/divorced daughter/unmarried daughter of a deceased government servant is also entitled to the pension till her remarriage or up to a lifetime. However, if she starts earning a monthly income of more than ₹9,000 + DA, the pension will have to stop.
  • Parents: Family policies are payable to wholly dependent parents of the deceased Government servants w.e.f. 1st Jan 1998 only if the government servant is not survived by a widow or eligible child. The pension will be payable to the mother first, failing which to the father.
  • Dependents with Disability: If a child or children of a government employee has a mental disorder or physical disability that does not allow them to earn a living, they are eligible for a pension for the rest of their  life. They will continue to receive these benefits after turning 25. This pension is subject to certain conditions.

Eligibility Criteria for Family Pension

You will need to decide and nominate the person who should receive the family pension after your demise. The rules provide the eligibility conditions for spouses and children to receive a pension after your passing.

  • Eligibility for Spouse: The spouse is eligible to receive the family pension amount under the following conditions only:

    • Until death or remarriage
    • After remarriage, if without children, the annual income from all other sources is less than the minimum family pension amount.
  • Eligibility for Children: The family pension can be paid to your surviving children in the following order:

    • Pension is paid to the eldest eligible child and will continue to the younger children after the elder ones become ineligible
    • Twins will receive the pension amount equally
    • A male child (or widowed daughter) will receive the pension until the age of 25 or marriage or until he starts to earn
    • If the spouse of the deceased pensioner adopts a child, the child will not be eligible for a family pension after the spouse passes away.

Did you know?

Over 77 lakh people in India receive pension. This is 0.5% of the total population of India.

Source: The Hindu

Claim Settlement Ratio

How to Calculate the Maturity Amount For Your Family Pension?

You can use the online pension calculator on the pensioners’ portal. You need to select the appropriate calculator on the page first, then enter the information in the input area. Here’s a guide on how to calculate the maturity amount for the pension: 

  • Superannuation After 2016: Basic pay + NPA (non-practicing allowance) if applicable
  • Superannuation before 2016: Basic pay (including grade pay) + NPA (non-practicing allowance) if applicable
  • Superannuation before 2006: Basic Pay + NPA + SI (Stagnation Increment) + DP (dearness pay)

After you have entered the service and retirement details, the calculator can give you the basic pension, family policy, and enhanced pension amounts. You can further estimate the commuted pension amount and pension after commutation with the calculator to help you plan your retirement.

Conclusion

A family pension is a very important financial safety net for families of government employees. It ensures that the deceased person's family members can maintain a decent standard of living even after losing their primary earner. By understanding the various aspects of pensions, one can make informed decisions to keep a safety umbrella over their loved ones.

Glossary

  • Maturity Amount:  It refers to the amount provided to you by your insurer at the end of the policy tenure.
  • Superannuation: A retirement benefit offered to employees by their employers.
  • Emoluments: A salary, fee, or profit from employment or office.
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FAQs Related to What is Family Pension

The family pension rules for state government employees emphasise many factors, including the deceased employee’s last pay, length of service, and the type of pension. 

The new family pension rule states that women central employees can now nominate their child rather than just the option to nominate their husband. 

Pension to unmarried, divorced, or widowed daughters above the age of 25 shall be payable only after the other children below are no longer eligible for the pension.

The Family Pension Rules for Central Government Employees sets and enforces the nature of the pension, which is a welfare scheme framed to provide relief to the widowed spouse and children of a deceased employee or pensioner.

Pension to widowed daughters above the age of 25 shall be payable only after the other children below are no longer eligible for the pension.

A Disabled son is very much eligible for a family pension for life and will be provided with a pension after the passing of his parents.

A minimum of 30% is granted a family pension as part of the family pension scheme.