Simplification of Pension process for permanently disabled children/siblings and dependent parents.

No. 1(7)/2013-D(Pension/Policy)

Government of India

Ministry of Defence

Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare

New Delhi

Dated: 15th May 2015

To

The Chief of the Army Staff

The Chief of the Naval Staff

The Chief of the Air Staff

SUBJECT: Simplification of Pension process for permanently disabled children/siblings and dependent parents

Sir,

The undersigned is directed to refer to the provisions contained in the GOI, MOD letter No A/49601/ AG/PS-4 (e)/3363/B/D(Pen/Ser) dated 27.08.1987 as modified vide this Ministry’s letter No. 906//A/D(Pen/Ser)/05 dated 13.08.2008 and No 02(03)/2010-D(Pen/Policy) dated 17th January 2013 of the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare regarding grant of Pension to old parents and disabled children/sibling after the death of the pensioners/family pensioner. Certain difficulties are being experienced for grant of such pension. The matter has been examined and it has been decided to further streamline the process of grant of pension to old parents/disabled children sibling as under. The employee/pensioner/family pensioner may, at any time before or after retirement/ death of Armed Force Personnel, make a request to the Appointing Authority seeking advance approval for grant of family pension for life to a permanently disabled child/sibling in terms of provisions contained in GOI, MOD Letter No.- A/49601/ AG/PS4(e)/3363/B/D (Pension/Services) dated 27.08.1987 as amended vide GOI MOD Letter No. 906/ AIDGPen/Sers)/05 dated 13.08.2008, which are reproduced as under:

2. Before allowing the family pension for life to any such son or daughter, the appointing authority shall satisfy that the handicap is of such a nature so as to prevent him or her from earning his or her livelihood and the same shall be evidenced by a certificate obtained from a Medical Board comprising of a Medical Superintendent or a Principal or a Director or Head of the Institution or his nominee as Chairman and two other members, out of which at least one shall be a Specialist in the particular area of mental or physical disability including mental retardation setting out, as far as possible, the exact mental or physical condition of the child. As per GOI, MOD Letter No.- PN/7995/D(Pen/Pol)/2010 dated 01.10.2010, the family Pension to the dependent disabled siblings shall be payable if the siblings were wholly dependent upon the Armed Force Personnel immediately before his or her death and deceased Armed Force Personnel is not survived by a widow or an eligible child or eligible parents.

3(a). In terms of GOI, MOD Letter No. B/38207/ AG/PS4/931/B/D(Pen/Ser) dated 6.08:-1998 the-family pension-to the parents-shall-be-payable if-the parents were wholly dependent on the Armed force Personnel immediately before his or her death and the deceased Armed force Personnel is not survived by a widow or an eligible child.

7. The authorization as indicated above shall be made in the PPO or by issuing a revised PPO if a child, parents or siblings is authorized for family pension after issue of the PPO. The revised PPO shall take the usual route to the Pension Disbursing Authority. The Pension Disbursing Authority shall start disbursing family pension to the permanently disabled child/sibling or dependent parents after the death of the pensioner/spouse/other family pensioner, as the case may be, on the basis of the PPO /revised PPO, approval of the appointing authority and the death certificates/s) of the pensioner and other family pensioners and the self-certificate for income.

8. Such an authorization shall become invalid in case a person becomes member of family after issue/amendment of such PPO and is entitled to family pension prior to the disabled child/sibling/dependent parents at the time of the death of the Pensioners/spouse. For example, the pensioner may marry/remarry after the death of first spouse or adopt a child. Such spouse/child may be eligible for family pension at the time of death of the pensioner or death/ineligibility of the spouse. A child adopted by the spouse of the pensioner shall not be treated as a member of the Family of the deceased pensioner. A decision regarding grant of family pension in such cases will be taken by the appointing authority in accordance with provisions of A 151/80.

9. In order to facilitate the prompt payment of the family pension in such cases, Armed Force Personnel/pensioners/their spouses may open a bank account of such children/siblings/parents and submit the same to the Pension Sanctioning authority through the appointing authority for inclusion in the PPO /revised PPO.

10. This issues with the concurrence of the finance Division of this Ministry vide their UO No. 10(01)/2015/FIN/PEN dated 24.03.2015.

11. Hindi version will follow.

Sd/-

(Prem Parkash)

Under Secretary to the Govt. of India

Source:http://www.desw.gov.in/sites/upload_files/desw/files/pdf/D%28PenPolicy%29-15-May-2015_0.pdf#sthash.rmX9uZOD.dpuf