2nd FAMILY PENSION TO THE WIDOWS

2^nd FAMILY PENSION TO THE WIDOWS OF THE RE-EMPLOYED EX-SERVICEMEN.

Government of India, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Department of Pension and Pensioner’s Welfare through its Office Memorandum No. 1/19/96-P&PW(E) dt.19/7/2002 allowed family pension under the EPF Scheme 1995 and the FPS 1971 in addition to the Family Pension under Rule 54 of the CCS (Pension) Rules 1972.

This benefit is available from 27.7.2001. It means that all the widows of the re-employed ex-servicemen, whose husbands were drawing two separate pensions and died before 27.7.2001 and after 27.7.2001 are now eligible for two family pensions. But practically this benefit has not been availed by any widow till date. The reasons are:-

1. The O.M. No.1/19/96-PPW(E) dt.19.7.2002 by the Dept. of Pension and Pensioner’s welfare has not been widely circulated. The MOD, Dept. of Ex-servicemen Welfare had not circulated this order.

2. The Record Offices and the respective departments where the ex-servicemen were re-employed had joined together and ensured that only one family pension is released to the widow.

3. Since most of the ex-servicemen re-employed prior to 1986 had not done the endorsement of family pension, their widows suffered a lot to get one pension even though their husbands were drawing two pensions.

4. The Record offices refused to endorsement of family pension without getting an no-objection certificate from the re-employer that they will not sanction any family pension.

5. In some cases, the re-employers such as the Nationalized Banks, PSUs like the Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum Corporation, etc., who are having EPF scheme 1995 released the family pension to the widow immediately. After accepting this EPF scheme 1995 pension, when the widow applied for the defence family pension, the record offices simply turn down the application stating that they are eligible for only one family pension. Thus the widow continued to lose her legitimate defence family pension even after issue of the order from 27.7.2001.

Thus the widows of the re-employed ex-servicemen whose husbands were drawing two pensions before 27.7.2001 or after 27.7.2001 and died subsequently are though eligible for two family pensions, but are being paid only one pension.

The MOD, Dept. of Ex-servicemen Welfare should issue a circular on the subject immediately and enable the widows to get both the family pensions in the last days of their life. Otherwise the name given to the Department “Dept. of Ex-servicemen Welfare” will become meaningless.

As of now all the widows of ex-servicemen, whose husbands were drawing two pensions are eligible for two family pensions w.e.f. 27.7.2001 depending upon the date of death. Those who have died prior to 27.7.2001, the family pension will be paid from 27.7.2001. Those who have died after 27.7.2001, the family pension will be paid from the next of day of death.

In these present state of confusion with the Pension Disbursing Agencies, even the living pensioners are struggling to get their correct pension, then who will help these widows to get their 2^nd family pension.

The ex-servicemen welfare organizations like IESL, IESM, AFA, Naval Foundation etc., should take up the matter seriously with the government and render justice to these widows.

WORKING SHEET FOR CALCULATION OF MIN. SPECIAL FAMILY PENSION

ARREARS OF MINIMUM SPECIAL FAMILY PENSION

PAYABLE TO THE WIDOWS OF SEP, NAIK & HAVILDARS.

As per MOD letter No.16(6)/2008(2)/D (Pension/Policy) Para 9 dt.4.5.2009, the minimum Special Family Pension has been increased from Rs.2,550 to Rs.7,000/- w.e.f. 1.1.2006.

The Banks as per MOD letter dated 11.11.2008 would have revised the pension from Rs.2550 to Rs.5763 as per Annexure I and paid arrears of Rs.13660 (40%) and the balance of 60% amounting to Rs.20,492 to be paid after the government announcement. (Arrears for the period from 1.1.06 to 31.12.2008 for 36 months)

In the meantime, the revised pension has to be increased from Rs.5763 to Rs.7000/- and arrears paid for the period from 1.1.06 to 31.5.2009 for 41 months and thereafter from June 2009 the revised SFP has to be paid.

A detailed working sheet has been prepared for the benefit of the widows.

Readers of this Blog, please help the eligible widows to get their correct pension & arrears.

Working sheet for calculation of Revised Spl. Family Pension Arrears – Click.

BASIC RESPONSIBILITIES OF A DEFENCE PENSIONER

BASIC RESPONSIBILITIES OF A DEFENCE PENSIONER

The Defence personnel are the only category of people who attain the status of ‘Pensioner’ at the age of 35. Similarly, the widowed pensioners at the age of 20 are only from among the Defence family pensioners.

Look at the enormous responsibilities shouldered by this category of people at such a young age to swim against the life with such a meager pension for a long period.

Therefore it is very important, that all the defence pensioners and the defence family pensioners should know certain basic aspects of this pension to get the continued benefit throughout their life. In order benefit to maximum readers, this information are given in Hindi also. Kindly follow to safeguard you and your family.

The responsibilities:-

• Send intimation to Pension Disbursing Authority (Banks) and Record Office/Head Office regularly for any change in your residential address.
• Call on your PDA annually positively in the month of November, each year, for the purpose of annual identification, (Life Certificate) failing which, payment of pension may be stopped.
• If you are re-employed in a State/Central government, or a Public Sector Undertaking, intimate the PDA, full details thereof, for regulating the dearness relief on pension. (Most cases of re-employed PBORs the Dearness Relief is admissible on re-employment. A certificate is to be obtained from the re-employer and submitted to PDA for payment of D.R with pension) In case of your not being re-employed under Govt., a declaration to this effect may be given to your PDA, once in a year in the month of May.
• If you are in receipt of more than one pension, furnish full details to your PDA for revising both the pensions and relief thereon.
• If you want to get your pension account transferred to other PDA/Bank, apply to your present PDA., PCDA(P), Allahabad has no role to play, in this regard, except in case of transfer outside India.
• In case you have not drawn your pension within 12 months, please approach your PDA with explanation for delay, non re-employment and non-conviction certificates. Treasury Officers/PAOs have powers to make payment of arrears up to 3 years (5 years in cases of DPDOs). PCDA(P) can sanction arrears claims beyond 3/5 years.
• Furnish full details with relevant certificates from the competent authority to the Record Office/H.O.O. if you have married after discharge or have children born after discharge and death of wife/children for record in your sheet roll/service book.
• If joint notification of family pension has not been done in your case, apply to your PDA for endorsement of family pension on the proper form. Your PDA will process the application through your R.O./H.O.O./Army Hqrs.
• In case of any dispute regarding entitlement to family pension, the matter may be got sorted out with RO and BRO. For immediate guidance, assistance of Local Zila Sainik Board may be sought.
• In case your disability pension is rejected, you are entitled to make an appeal to the Govt., of India within 6 months from the date of rejection memo through the Record Office, if you feel that the disability in your case is due to Service factors. Similarly, family of the deceased can also make an appeal, if the claim for special family pension is rejected.
• Appear before Re-survey Medical Board on due date, as arranged by the Record Office. In case you fail to appear before RSMB for a long time, submit delay explanation along with non-conviction and non re-employment certificates to the Record Office, when a fresh RSMB is arranged.
• If you have any problem regarding payment of pension, write to your PDAs with TS/HO/PS/PPO No./Bank Account No. If your problem is not solved by PDA, write to the Audit Section of Principal CDA(P) Allahabad/Public Grievances Officer, Office of the Principal Controller of Defence Accounts (Pension), Draupathi Ghat, Allahabad with your full details as given below:-
• While sending your application/representation to the office of the PCDA(P) Allahabad, please ensure that following information/particulars are invariably furnished along with full details of your problem/grievance.

(i) Your Name, Rank, Regtl. No. and Record Office/H.O.O. from where you retired.

(ii) P.P.O. No. and date under which pension was granted in your favour.

(iii) Name of the P.D.A./Bank Branch from where you are drawing your pension with Savings Bank/Current Account No.

(iv) T.S./P.S./H.O. No. allotted to you (in case of D.P.D.Os, Treasuries, Post Offices and P.A.Os).

• If you have any problem or doubt regarding the rate of pension granted to you, write to the Record Office/H.O.O. indicating the PPO No. in which the pension was granted to you.
• If the PPO is lost in the PDA’s office, request the PDA to send a loss certificate on the prescribed form to Officer I/c PPO Section of PCDA(P), Allahabad.
• Convert your Pension account in the Bank into a joint account with your wife.

Don’t forget to give nomination to your Pension account.

• Keep your wife informed of all the information about your personal dealings.
• Make a regular visit to your Welfare Association and contribute your mite for the

Well being of your Association.

PLIGHT OF RE-EMPLOYED EX-SERVICEMEN'S WIDOWS

PLIGHT OF THE RE-EMPLOYED EX-SERVICEMENS' WIDOWS

IN GETTING THE BENEFICIAL PENSION.

The truncated service in the Armed forces compels the ex-servicemen to seek re-employment. The re-employed ex-servicemen after retirement from the re-employed post are given minimum pro-rata pension, in addition to the minimum defence pension. Both these minimum pensions put together will not come equal to the full pension (33 years) being drawn by others who are fortunate to complete full service in one organization.

Moreover, these ex-servicemen are not given any weightage of military service/seniority in the re-employed post. They are appointed in the minimum scale and retire with minimum pension. Even though there are instructions to count the military service for seniority, promotion etc., in the re-employed post, but these ex-servicemen are not given any such privileges in the re-employed service. Whereas the families of these re-employed ex-servicemen are not allowed to draw both the family pensions. They are allowed to draw only one family pension after the demise of the ex-serviceman.

In the circumstances, there is no justification in denying the second family pension. Also there are many public sector undertakings and banks that are having their own pension fund, also denying this family pension to the widows of these ex-servicemen.

For example, a large number of ex-servicemen were employed in the public sector banks during the period 1981 to 1991, now most of them have retired and some of them have died. The widows of these re-employed ex-servicemen are not given the bank’s family pension even though the banks have their own contributory pension scheme.

The State Bank of India, a premier institution, having sufficient funds to meet the pension commitment to its pensioners, is also denying the family pension to these widows. Although, the SBI’s pension scheme is different from the CCS pension rules, but when question of paying the family pension arises to a widow of a re-employed ex-serviceman, the banks deny by stating the CCS pension rules.

The plight of SBI pensioners is worst. When the mighty trade unions fight for the revision of salary and allowances for the working employees in the past, but they failed to negotiate for the revision of the SBI Pension and family pension. The recent revision in the SBI family pension has not improved the situation.

Now there are some widows who are eligible to get higher rate of Defence family pension as per the 6^th CPC, as compared to the SBI’s family pension, are denied the defence family pension because of the option given by their husbands for the bank’s pension earlier, which is now lower than the defence family pension.

NAIKS & EQUIVALENT RANK'S PENSION REVIEW

NAIKS WITH 15 YEARS SERVICE TO BE GIVEN 17 YEARS PENSION

The Government in the year 1998 sympathetically considered to pay 17 years pension to all those pre-86 and pre-96 Naiks and equivalent ranks in the Navy and Air Force who have completed service between 15 to less than 17 years.

The benefits of the order could not be availed by all due to various reasons. (The Govt. (MOD) and the PCDA(P) Allahabad are well aware as to how many Naiks had availed the benefits. As of now, the pensioner and the banks and Govt. have fully forgotten the issue. But whenever any revision of pension is taking place, the existing pension is required to be based on the above orders. Otherwise the revision of pension as per 6th CPC will not be correct and reduction in the revised pension will cumulative.

Therefore, the orders which were issued earlier to revise the pension w.e.f. certain dates i.e. 1.1.92 and from 1.10.96 are required to be taken up now. However in practical point of view it is not possible to revise because of the numbers involved more and all of them are not so much aware of their own entitlement.

In the circumstances, if the government feels sincerely, they can wave all the earlier instructions and fix a table for the revised pension based on these orders and publish it for implementation w.e.f. 01.01.2006 so that atleast from now onwards i.e. from 1.1.2006 these low paid paid pensioners will get some relief.

Based on this concept, our Team leader Sgt.Kandiah, (A retired Canara Bank Officer) had prepared the tables for ready reference. We request the MOD & CDA(P) Allahabad to accept these tables, verify and issue suitable instructions for implementation. If the basic pension as indicated in the tables, does not match with what they are drawing at present, then it must be stepped up to the level shown in the table and paid accordingly. Arrangements may also be made to pay the arrears for the respective periods as mentioned in the earlier orders.(Circular 210, 251, 257 & 350).

Pending our demand for OROP/Parity in pension, this may be done as an interim measure to provide some relief to the low paid pensioners.

Tables for Naiks & equivalent ranks - Click