The Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare (DoP&W) has issued a clarification regarding family pension records for government employees and pensioners. According to the clarification, the name of a daughter cannot be removed from the family details while the pensioner or family pensioner is alive. The eligibility of the daughter for family pension will only be assessed after the pensioner’s or family pensioner’s demise, in accordance with existing regulations.
The need for this clarification arose as several departments sought guidance on whether a daughter’s name should be eliminated from the family list upon an employee’s retirement. To address this confusion, the DoP&W released an Office Memorandum on October 31, 2025, affirming that the daughter’s name must be retained in the records.
As per rule 50(15) of CCS (Pension) Rules, 2021, it is mandatory for every central government employee to provide a comprehensive list of family members, including spouse, all children, parents, and disabled siblings, upon joining service. This list must be updated at the time of retirement and submitted with the pension papers to ensure that accurate information is available for any family pension-related matters.
Furthermore, the department referenced a prior order from October 7, 2022, emphasizing that all family members, regardless of their eligibility for family pension, must be included in Form 4. Therefore, once a government employee designates their daughter as a family member, her name cannot be removed subsequently, and she will remain part of the official family record.
The clarification also underscores that the daughter’s entitlement to family pension will be determined after the demise of the pensioner or current family pensioner. This safeguard ensures her right to receive a family pension if she meets the eligibility criteria in the future, especially in the absence of other eligible family members.
DoP&W has instructed all Ministries and Departments to disseminate this clarification among staff responsible for pension-related tasks. Officials are mandated to ensure strict adherence to the rules and maintain accurate family details for all employees and pensioners.