Pension: Female government employees can now nominate children; here’s how to apply for it?

In a move that prima facie gives an impetus to women empowerment, the government has framed new rules enabling women employees to nominate her children. 

In a press release, the government has announced that the new rules will now allow female central government employees the right to nominate her child(ren) for family pension.

The new rules means that she does not need to necessarily nominate her husband. 

How to make this happen?

The Department of Pensions and Pensioners' Welfare (DoP&PW) said, the female government servant or pensioner must make a written request to the head of office, stating that family pension should be granted to her eligible child or children in precedence to her spouse, in the event of her death. 

If the female government servant or pensioner passes away, the family pension will be disbursed accordingly.

When woman does not have kids

If a woman employee is survived by a widower with no eligible child, the family pension will be payable to the widower. 

Child suffers from a mental disorder

However, if the widower is the guardian of a minor child or a child suffering from 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, it will be payable directly to the child, the notification clarifies.

Children have gained majority

For 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 such children. 

After all eligible children cease to be eligible for family pension, it will become payable to the widower until his death or remarriage, whichever occurs first, the notification says.

When the employee goes missing

In case of NPS (National Pension System), the families of missing employees covered under NPS can now get a family pension within six months of lodging FIR instead of waiting for seven years after which an employee is considered deemed dead. 

Even in cases where the government servant dies before completing a service of seven years, family pension shall be payable to the family at an enhanced rate of 50 per cent of last pay for the first 10 years and thereafter at the rate of 30 percent of last pay.