NEW PROVISION FOR PAYMENT OF FAMILY PENSION IF EMPLOYEE GOES MISSING
Introduction:
The family pension under rule 54 of the CCS (Pension rules) is in the nature of welfare scheme framed to provide relief to the widowed spouse & children of deceased employee or pensioner.
The Employee has no control over the family pension as he is not required to make any contribution to it. It is not a property of the deceased employee/pensioner, therefore the entitlement for family pension cannot be decided by succession certificate.
The rules do not provide for any nomination, instead it designates the persons who are entitled to receive family pension. Thus, no other person except those designated under the rules is entitles
If a Central Government Employee covered by CCS (Pension) rules 1972 goes missing during service, the benefits of arrears of salary, family pension, retirement gratuity, leave encashment etc. are paid to his/her family. Instructions in this regard were issued vide an Office Memorandum (O.M.) dated 25th June 2013 of Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare (DoPPW). The Department has now decided to extend similar benefits to families of missing Central Government Employees covered under National Pension System (NPS).
On 28th April 2022, the DoPPW said “it has been decided to extend the benefits of this Department’s OM No. 1/17/2011-P&PW (E) dated 25.06.2013 to the families of Government servants covered by NPS who go missing during service
Accordingly, in all cases where a Government servant covered by NPS goes missing during service, the benefits of family pension may be paid to the family if the missing Government servant had exercised option for benefits under CCS (Pension) Rules on death or discharge from service on disability/invalidation or the benefits under CCS (Pension) Rules is the default option funder Central Civil Services (Implementation of National Pension System) Rules, 2021
Now the benefit of arrears of salary, retirement, gratuity and leave encashment shall be paid to the family in all cases where a Government employee covered under NPS goes missing during service, irrespective whether the employee had exercised option for benefits under CCS (Pension) Rules or under the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (Exit and Withdrawals under National Pension System) Regulations, 2015
PRAN to remain suspended if benefits availed under CCS (Pension) Rules
The DoPPW has said that the Permanent Retirement Account Number (PRAN) will remain suspended till the missing employee reappears Boris declared dead in case his/her family has availed benefits under CCS (Pension) Rules or CCS (EOP) Rules.
The NPS account Ould be reactivated in the event of reappearance of the missing employee.
In case the missing employee is declared dead at any time or after seven years, Government contribution and returns thereon from the accumulated pension corpus under NPS would be transferred to the Government account and remaining corpus comprising of employees’ contribution and returns thereon from the accumulated pension corpus under NPS would be transferred to the Government account and remaining corpus comprising of employees’ contribution and returns thereon would b paid to the nominee or legal heir as the case may be in accordance with relevant rules,
PPF interest rate to apply
Interest on delayed payment of retirement gratuity, as provided under the CCS (Pension) Rules, would be paid at the rates and manner applicable for Public Provident Fund deposits from time to time. However, no interest would be paid for any amount due before issue of these instructions.
