Widowed, divorced daughters eligible for family pension: Govt

Widowed and divorced daughters of a deceased central government employee are eligible to get family pension, the government has said.

The Ministry of Personnel has recently issued a circular in this regard after it received a number of communications from other central government ministries and departments seeking clarifications.

Family pension is payable to the children as they are considered to be dependent on the government servant or pensioner or his or her spouse.

"A child who is not earning equal to or more than the sum of minimum family pension and dearness relief thereon is considered to be dependent on his or her parents.

"Therefore, only those children who are dependent and meet other conditions of eligibility for family pension at the time of death of the government servant or his or her spouse, whichever is later, are eligible for family pension," the rules said.

Similarly, family pension to a widowed or divorced daughter is payable provided she fulfills all eligibility conditions at the time of death or ineligibility of her parents and on the date her turn to receive family pension comes, they said.

According to the rules, the turn of unmarried children below 25 years of age comes after the death or remarriage of their mother or father, i.e., the pensioner and his or her spouse.

"Thereafter, the family pension is payable to the disabled children for life and then to the unmarried, widowed or divorced daughters above the age of 25 years," said the rule.
The provision of providing pension to widowed and divorced daughter of a pensioner existed earlier too.

Regarding opening of old cases, a daughter if eligible may be granted family pension with effect from August 30, 2004, according to the circular issued on Wednesday