Family Pension Rules: The government has revised the rules for family pension. Now, parents receiving family pension must submit their life certificates every year. Here’s why the government made this change and who it will affect.

Deadline: For all pensioners, November 30 is the last date to submit the life certificate.

The government has clarified that parents who receive family pension after the death of their child, who was a government employee, must now submit their life certificates annually. This new rule has been implemented by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions (DoPPW). The aim is to ensure that the pension is given to the correct person and at the correct rate.

Previous Loophole

Earlier, parents receiving the enhanced family pension (75% rate) were not required to submit a life certificate every year to prove they were alive.

This meant that the government did not verify whether both parents were still living. As a result, the enhanced pension sometimes continued even after the death of one parent. According to the rules, in such cases, the pension should have been reduced from 75% to 60%. The new rule addresses this gap.

How Enhanced Pension Works

Under Rule 12(5) of the CCS (EOP) Rules, 2023, if a deceased government employee has no eligible child or spouse, the parents are entitled to receive the family pension.

There are two types of payment:

• If both parents are alive, they receive 75% of the pension.
• If only one parent is alive, the pension reduces to 60%.

The parents’ other income does not affect this pension.

Annual Life Certificate Now Mandatory

The new government directive states that both parents must submit their life certificates every year. This ensures that if one parent passes away, the pension is immediately adjusted from 75% to 60%, preventing overpayment.

Why This Change Matters

The government wants family pension payments to be accurate and reflect the real situation. Making life certificates mandatory ensures that the enhanced rate is paid only for the living parent.

Life Certificate Deadline

For all pensioners, November 30 is the final date to submit the life certificate. If submitted on time, pension will continue without interruption. If the certificate is not submitted by November 30, pension payments are usually stopped from December and will only resume after submission and verification.