Now Female Govt Employees Can Nominate Children instead of Husband for Family Pension
There is an important update for female government employees. Now, female government employees can nominate their children instead of Husbands for family pension. The notification for the same has been released by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on its official website. In this article, we will understand all the important guidelines and rules related to this.
This new guideline will be applicable to members of the All India Services (AIS). Female officers or pensioners can prioritize their children over their husband for receiving family pension, under certain legal circumstances.
As per Rule 22 of the All India Services (Death-cum-Retirement Benefits) Rules, 1958, family pension is normally granted to the surviving spouse of a deceased AIS member or pensioner. Children or other family members become eligible only after the spouse either passes away or becomes ineligible.
However, in a move aimed at safeguarding the rights of women officers and pensioners, the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) has decided to implement a new directive issued by the Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare (DoP&PW) through Office Memorandum No. 1/1(1)/2023-P&PW(E), dated January 1, 2024.
According to the updated guidelines, if a female AIS officer or pensioner is involved in pending divorce proceedings, or if she has filed legal cases against her husband under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, Dowry Prohibition Act, or relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code, she may submit a request that, in the event of her death, the family pension be granted to her eligible child or children instead of her husband.
The government has said that this decision is aimed at addressing situations where granting family pension to the spouse may not be appropriate due to ongoing legal conflicts or domestic issues. The provisions of the DoP&PW’s January 1 circular have now been officially extended to All India Services officers, ensuring parity and protection under the revised pension framework.
This guideline will surely help the female officers a lot. This will also solve the complexities of legal issues that arise due to identification of legal heirs.
