Inclusion of names and proof of age of members of family in the PPO

The earlier Office Memorandum No: 1/6/2008-P&PW(E) dated 22.06.2010 and No: 1/21/91/91-P&PW(E) dated 20.01.93, issued by Department of Pension and Pensioners' Welfare, Ministry of Personnel and P.G and Pensions, discusses about intimation of names of eligible family members by the pensioner or the spouse to the head of Office for inclusion in the pension payment order (PPO), it is informed by Department of Pension and Pension Welfare.

It is clarified in the O.M dated 22.06.2010 that in cases where the pensioner or his/her spouse has expired, the widowed or divorced or unmarried daughter/parents/dependent disabled children/disabled siblings can themselves intimate such details to the pension sanctioning authority who can process such cases if sufficient proof of entitlement is produced by the claimant and all other conditions for grant of family pension are fulfilled.

In the the Department O.M: No:/37/08-P&PW(A) dated 21.05.2009, detailed instructions regarding admissibility of documents as proof of date of birth of very old family pensioner who neither have a birth certificate nor any other corroborating document and whose date of birth is not available in the PPOs as well as in the office records of CPAO/PAO have been circulated.

However, Department of Pension is receiving lot of complaints from pensioner Associations and individuals that documents submitted by them to the Heads of Office concerned are not accepted. To avoid such complaints in the future it is informed by the Department Pension that documents indicated in Para 5 of OM dated 21.05.2009 may be relied upon by the Heads of Office for administering claims of the family pensioners. In addition to these the Aadhaar Number issued by Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) may also be accepted by the Heads of Office/Pension disbursing authorities as valid proof of identity. It is also emphasized that the date of birth of the applicant may also be ascertained at the time of sanctioning family pension as it may be required for deciding the quantum of additional family pension when the family pensioner attains the age of 80 years or above.

In case the applicant is unable to submit any of the documents indicated above but claims family pension based on some other documentary evidence such cases may be submitted to the administrative Ministry/Department. The decision of the administrative Ministry/Department in this regard will be final.

Requests have also been received for inclusion of the name of dependent disabled children in the PPO during the life-time of the pensioner. It is hereby clarified that neither dependence nor disability are bound to be permanent in nature. Therefore the names of such child/children may be included in the details of family by the Head of Office on receiving a request from the pensioner or his/her spouse. However, family pension would be sanctioned only when their turn comes to receive the family pension on the demise of the pensioner/family pensioner after examining the claims of such disabled children for family pension subject to the fulfillment of conditions stipulated in the relevant provisions of CCS(Pension) Rules, 1972.

Download Office Memorandum F.No: 1/19/11-P&PW(E) dated 03.08.2011