New Delhi (NVI): The government relaxed norms for granting of family pension to differently-abled survivors as they require greater medical care and financial assistance, the Ministry of Personnel said today.
According to an official statement, “Government has issued instructions to liberalise the income criteria for eligibility of a child or sibling of a deceased government servant or pensioner for grant of family pension under CCS (Pension) Rules, 1972.”
The government is of the view that the income criteria for eligibility for family pension, applicable in the case of other family members, may not be applied in the case of a child or sibling suffering from a disability, the Personnel Ministry said in a statement.
Therefore, the government has reviewed the income criteria for eligibility for family pension in respect of a child or sibling, suffering from a disability and has decided that the income criteria for eligibility for family pension to such children/siblings shall commensurate with the amount of the entitled family pension in their case, it added.
The Department of Pension and Pensioners Welfare has issued instructions on February 8, for a child/sibling of a deceased government servant/pensioner suffering from a mental or physical disability, the statement noted.
They shall be eligible for family pension for overall income, other than family pension, is less than the entitled family pension at ordinary rate, which is 30 per cent of the last pay drawn by the deceased government servant or pensioner plus the Dearness Relief admissible thereon.
The statement also said that, “As per Rule 54(6) of the CCS (Pension) Rules, 1972, a child/sibling of a deceased government servant or pensioner, suffering from a mental or physical disability, is eligible for family pension for life if he or she is suffering a disability which renders him unable to earn his livelihood.”
Currently, a member of the family, including a child or sibling suffering from a disability, is deemed to be earning his livelihood, if the income from sources other than family pension, is equal to or more than the minimum family pension of Rs 9,000 and the dearness relief admissible thereon, the ministry said.
Further, in the case of a child/sibling, suffering from a mental or physical disability, who is presently not in receipt of a family pension due to non-fulfilment of the earlier income criteria, family pension shall be granted the new income criteria and also fulfilled the other conditions for grant of family pension at the time of death of government servant or pensioner or previous family pensioner, it said.
However, the financial benefits shall accrue prospectively and no arrears for the period from the date of death of servant or pensioner family pensioner shall be admissible, the statement added.
