Central government employees ATTENTION! Ministry of Personnel clarifies family pension eligibility criteria

Central Government Employees Family Pension: Central government employees get pensions post-retirement. Their family members also get pension benefits meeting eligibility criteria set by the government from time to time. However, many times the government and the family of an employee came at loggerheads over the pension payments post the demise of the employee. Now, the Ministry of Personnel, PG and Pensions came out with a clarification explaining the eligibility criteria in the case of family pension.

In an office memorandum dated October 26, the ministry said that a family pension to a member of the family (other than spouse) of a deceased government servant/pensioner is paid if he/she is not earning any livelihood.

"A member of the family, other than a son or a daughter or a sibling suffering from a mental or physical disability, is deemed to be earning his or her livelihood if his or her income from other sources is equal to or more than the minimum family pension (i.e. Rs. 9000/- per month) and the dearness relief admissible thereon. However, a child /sibling suffering from a mental or physical disability is deemed to be not earning his or her livelihood, if his or her overall income from sources other than a family pension is less than the entitled family pension and the dearness relief admissible thereon, payable on the death of the Government servant or pensioner concerned," said the memorandum. 

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The ministry said that the eligibility for the family pension (other than the widow or widower) will be decided by the government based on documents submitted by the family members. The documents include a family pension claim and a copy of the last Income Tax Return filed by the said member. 

"In case the said member of the family informs that he or she has not filed the Income Tax Return with the Income Tax Department, he or she shall submit a certificate of income from a sub-divisional magistrate. In case the member of the family is not able to submit either a copy of the Income Tax Return or a certificate of income from a sub-divisional magistrate, the Head of Office may rely on any other document produced by the said member of the family in support of his or her claim regarding income and decide the eligibility of the said member of the family for family pension accordingly," said the ministry.