Four pension updates government pensioners should know

The Department of Pension and Pensioners' Welfare ( DoPPW) has announced several updates related to timelines for the completion of various activities and the timely distribution of pension benefits and General Provident Fund (GPF) payments. Here is a look at those important updates.

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Timelines for completion of various pension related activities
Timelines for completion of various activities in the process of authorization of pension and gratuity on retirement on superannuation of a government servant. Timelines have been prescribed in the Central Civil Service (Pension) Rules, 2021 for completion of each of these activities.

According to the DOPPW Office Memorandum dated October 25, 2024, "Every Head of Department (HoD) is required by Rule 54 to have a list of all government employees who are scheduled to retire within the next 15 months compiled by the 15th day of each month.

According to Rule 55, the government employee must provide all relevant information on the government accommodation at least a year before to the expected date of retirement.
Rules 56 and 57 specify a detailed process for the work required to prepare for filing a pension case on superannuation within a year prior to retirement.
Within two months of receiving the pension forms from the government employee, the I100 must submit the pension case to the Pay & Accounts Office together with a supporting letter in Format 10 in accordance with Rules 59 and 60.

After receiving a pension case, the Accounts Officer must apply the necessary checks and issue the pension payment order no later than two months before a government employee's retirement date after reaching the superannuation age.
According to the DOPPW Office Memorandum (OM) dated October 25, 2024, “The Accounts Officer shall forward a copy of the Pension Payment Order to the Central Pension Accounting Office, within two months from the date of receipt of pension papers from the 1100. The CPA() shall issue the Special Seal Authority and forward the same to the Pension Disbursing Authority along with the copy of the Pension Payment Order within twenty one days from the date of receipt of the Pension Payment Order. The Pension Disbursing Authority shall thereafter take action to disburse the pension to the retired Government servant on the date on which it becomes due.”

Implementation of pension-related rules and timely release of retirement benefits
In a recent case, the court granted EOP to the qualifying relatives of a small number of government employees who were killed while performing their duties. The court issued an order granting them a family pension under the EOP Rules. The concerned Department, however, believed that as these employees are covered by the LOP Rules, which DoPPW has informed or issued, DoPPW should carry out the order. After that, the issue was explained to that Department, and only that Department carried it out. But the procedure took too long, which caused a delay in payment, etc.

According to the DoPPW Office Memorandum dated October 25, “it is reiterated that as per provisions of the Allocation of Business Rules in the Govt of India, sanction of pension / pensionary benefits is the sole mandate and responsibility of the administrative Ministry / Department / organisaiton. Therefore, the concerned organization is required to release all the retirement benefits including EOP as per rules at the earliest possible. It is added that delay in payment of pension, gratuity and family pension attracts payment of interest in terms of Rule 65 of CCS (Pension) Rules, 2021.”

Clarification on GPF payment
The Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare (DoPPW) has issued a memorandum clarifying the payment of the General Provident Fund (GPF) to retiring government employees.

The per Rule 34 of General Provident Fund (Central Service) Rules, 1960 clearly
provides that when the amount standing at the credit of a subscriber in the General

Provident Fund becomes payable, it shall be the duty of the Accounts Officer to make
payment.

According to the Office Memorandum dated October 25, 2024, “To ensure timely final payment of GPF, and to avoid unnecessary financial burden on account of interest beyond retirement, it has now been decided that every case, in which payment of interest on General Provident Fund becomes necessary in terms of Rules 11(4) of GPF Rules, 1960, shall be put up for consideration to the Secretary of the Administrative Ministry/Department. In all such cases the Secretary of the Administrative Ministry/ Department will fix responsibility at all levels to take appropriate action against the Government servant or servants who are found responsible for the delay in the payment of General Provident Fund.”

Clarification on Change of name of spouse
The CCS (Pension) Rules, 1972 or 2021 do not specify a specific process for changing a government employee's or spouse's name or surname in their PPO after retirement. The PPO is granted based on the employee's service record or service book, and DoPT is involved in the book's upkeep.

According to the DOPPW Office Memorandum dated October 24, 2024, “Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation were informed that they may follow DoPT's OM No. 190016/187-Estt. dated 12" March, 1987 for change of name of family pensioner also. In case the Ministry of Statistics &e Programme Implementation feels that there is some discrepancy in the documents submitted by the complainant family pensioner in support of her application for change of name in the PPO, they may sort it out with her directly and ensure that the request for change of name fulfils the conditions of DoP T's OM No. 190016/187-Est. dated 12 March, 1987.”