CPAO Revises NPS to OPS Migration Rules for Death and Disability Cases

The Central Pension Accounting Office (CPAO), under the Ministry of Finance, has revised the procedure for transferring eligible pension cases from the National Pension System (NPS) to the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) in cases involving the death or disability of government employees. The revised procedure aims to simplify the migration process, remove technical difficulties and provide relief to affected employees and their families.

In an official order issued on October 19, the CPAO stated that the Controller General of Accounts (CGA) had approved a revised Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to address difficulties faced during the migration of eligible legacy NPS Additional Relief (NPS-AR) pension cases to OPS. The new procedure replaces the earlier SOP issued on September 17, 2025. The CPAO has directed the concerned accounting authorities and authorised banks to implement the revised procedure promptly.

The CPAO is responsible for pension payment authorisation, accounting and related functions for Central Government civil pensioners. The revised procedure applies specifically to eligible legacy NPS-AR cases in which an employee or pensioner moves to the Old Pension Scheme following death or disability. It is intended to make the transfer process easier for eligible pensioners and family pension beneficiaries.

Under the revised procedure, beneficiaries should keep the employee’s Service Book details and other relevant service records ready. They should contact the concerned Head of Office (HoO) or Pay and Accounts Office (PAO) to check whether the process of regularising the provisional pension or family pension has started.

Once the new Pension Payment Order (PPO) is issued, beneficiaries must submit the old Provisional Pension Payment Order (PPPO) booklet. If the old PPPO booklet has been lost, they should inform the pension-disbursing bank. Pensioners and family pension beneficiaries must also continue submitting their annual life certificates to the bank as required under the guidelines of the Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare (DoPPW).

The revised procedure is expected to help reduce delays and administrative difficulties faced by families seeking pension benefits after the death or disability of a government employee. It also aims to improve coordination among the offices and banks involved in processing pension cases.