Pension processing: The Central government has recently released updated guidelines to assist government employees experiencing health issues in submitting their pension paperwork. The Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare (DoPPW) has established a clear procedure for addressing these situations to ensure that employees and their families receive their pension benefits without undue delays.

Instructions have been issued for the handling of pension claims for employees facing physical or mental challenges preventing them from completing the necessary paperwork. These guidelines were initially introduced on October 28, 2022, and are now being reiterated in response to reports of inconsistent compliance with these provisions.

“It is noticed that the above provisions are not being followed strictly by Ministries/Departments and grievances are being received from retired Government servants/family members,” the notification said.

Key points

> The instructions, as per the CCS (Pension) Rules, 2021, provide a detailed outline of the procedure for submitting pension claims in such instances. It specifies that the claims must be handled in accordance with specific regulations (Rule 57(3) for initial claims and Rule 59(2) and Rule 80(5) for subsequent processing).

> The DoPPW has emphasized to all Ministries and Departments the importance of adhering to these guidelines accurately.

> Furthermore, they have requested that the provisions be communicated to the staff responsible for pension-related affairs in their offices, including subordinate branches, to prevent any potential issues from arising.

> The aim of the guidelines is to facilitate a seamless and prompt pension process for government employees dealing with health issues. It is imperative that all relevant authorities adhere to these procedures to avoid any potential delays or complications.

Pension for daughters

The department recently released updated guidelines regarding the upkeep of records for family members of government pensioners. According to the directive, a daughter’s name cannot be removed from the roster of eligible family members for a government servant’s family pension.

Upon inclusion of a daughter’s name on Form 4 by a government employee, she is officially acknowledged as a family member, regardless of her pension eligibility status. A daughter is entitled to the family pension until she marries, remarries, secures employment, or encounters a mental or physical disability.

Unmarried, widowed, or divorced daughters aged 25 and above may be eligible for a family pension if their siblings are also 25 or financially independent. Priority for the pension is given to children with disabilities.

Government employees are required to disclose information about their family members – spouse, children, parents, and disabled siblings – when they start their service. This information must be updated along with pension documents before retirement, regardless of the family members’ eligibility for a pension.