Daughters' names to stay in family records for pension after retirement
New Delhi, Nov 4, 2024
The eligibility for family pension would be decided after demise of pensioner/family pensioners in accordance with the existing rules
The Department of Pension and Pensioners' Welfare (DoPPW) recently released a regulation outlining guidelines for maintaining records of a government pensioner's family information, specifically regarding the inclusion of a daughter's name.
DoPPW order has clarified that a daughter’s name cannot be deleted from the list of family members eligible for a government servant’s family pension. The memorandum specifies that a daughter is officially recognised as a family member once her name is submitted by the government employee using the designated Form 4. This requirement holds regardless of whether the daughter is eligible for a family pension.
A daughter (unless affected by a mental or physical disability) qualifies for a family pension until she marries, remarries, or becomes employed. Unmarried, widowed, or divorced daughters above 25 years of age may also receive a family pension, provided all other children in the family are either over 25 or are financially independent. If a child has a disability, they have the primary entitlement to the family pension.
New family pension allocation guidelines
The revised policy offers a structured approach to handling family pension allocation under specific legal scenarios, ensuring that the well-being of the children is prioritised. Key provisions are as follows:
Pending divorce or legal proceedings: Female government servants/pensioners involved in ongoing divorce proceedings, or those who have filed cases against their husbands under relevant protective acts, may formally request to have their children receive the family pension in the event of their death.
Family pension disbursement order: If no eligible child exists at the time of the woman’s death, the family pension will be payable to the surviving widower.
If minor children or children with disabilities are present, the pension will initially go to the widower, provided he remains the child’s guardian. If the widower ceases to be the guardian, the pension will be paid through the legal guardian.
For children who have reached the age of majority, but remain eligible for the family pension, the pension will be transferred directly to them.
Once all eligible children have ceased to qualify under Rule 50, the family pension reverts to the widower until his death or remarriage.
[The Business Standard]
