
The government has introduced new rules aimed at empowering women, allowing them to nominate their children for family pension. This move eliminates the requirement for women employees to nominate their husbands.
Nomination Process:
According to the Department of Pensions and Pensioners’ Welfare (DoP&PW), female government servants or pensioners can now make a written request to their head of office. This request specifies that family pension should be granted to their eligible child or children in precedence to their spouse, in case of the female employee’s demise.
Distribution of Family Pension:
If a female government servant or pensioner passes away, the family pension will be disbursed according to the nominated beneficiaries. If a woman employee is survived by a widower with no eligible child, the family pension will be payable to the widower.
Widower’s Guardianship:
If the widower is the guardian of a minor child or a child with a mental disorder, the family pension will be payable to the widower as long as he remains the guardian. Once the child attains majority and remains eligible for family pension, the payment will be directly made to the child.
Eligibility of Children for Family Pension:
In cases where the deceased female government servant or pensioner is survived by a widower and children who have attained majority but are still eligible for family pension, the family pension will be payable to the children. After all eligible children cease to be eligible, it will become payable to the widower until his death or remarriage, whichever occurs first.
National Pension System (NPS) Cases:
For cases under the National Pension System (NPS), families of missing employees covered under NPS can now receive a family pension within six months of lodging a First Information Report (FIR). This is a significant reduction compared to the previous waiting period of seven years, after which an employee is considered deemed dead.
Enhanced Family Pension in Certain Cases:
Even if a government servant dies before completing seven years of service, the family pension shall be payable to the family. The rate is enhanced to 50 percent of the last pay for the first 10 years and subsequently at the rate of 30 percent of the last pay.