It is well known to all that, on expiry of serving soldier or ex-servicemen, his eligible NOK are entitled to get Family pension. But do you know what kind of Family pension is entitled your family ? Actually it depends on type of death and circumstances during death of the soldier. In case of Exservicemen, Ordinary/Enhanced rate of Family pension is only applicable, on expiry of the veteran soldier. Details of all kind of family pension are given here.
Ordinary Family Pension
When an Individual expires in service or after retirement with a pension on account of a cause which is neither attributable to nor aggravated by military service, his Next of Kin (NOK) is entitled for ordinary family pension. The rate of ordinary family pension is 30% of last pay drawn by the deceased subject to minimum of ₹ 9000/- per month.
Special Family Pension.
If the cause of death of a serviceman is accepted by the competent authority as either attributable to or aggravated by military service, the NOK is entitled to Special Family Pension at the rate of 60% of the last reckonable emoluments drawn by the deceased.
Liberalised Family Pension
Liberalised Family Pension is admissible when death of a serviceman takes place during action in war / war like situations, border skirmishes, action against terrorists, etc. It is equal to the reckonable emoluments last drawn by the deceased.
Categories for the Purpose of Grant of Family Pension.
Category – I
(a) Widow or widower, upto the date of death or re-marriage, whichever is earlier.
(b) Son/daughter (including widowed daughter), upto the date of his/her marriage/re-marriage or till the date of he/she starts earning or till the age of 25 years, whichever is earlier.
Category – II
(a) Unmarried/Widowed/Divorced daughter, not covered by Category I, upto the date of marriage/re-marriage or till the date she starts earning or upto the date of death, which is earlier.
(b) Parents who were wholly dependent on the Armed Forces Personnel when he/she was alive provided the deceased personnel had left behind neither a widow nor a child.
Family pension to dependent parents, unmarried/divorced/widowed daughter will continue till the date of death.
The childless widow of a deceased personnel shall continue to be paid family pension even after her re-marriage subject to the condition that the family pension shall cease once her independent income from all other sources become equal to or higher than the minimum prescribed family pension (₹9000) in the Central Government.
Enhance Rate of Ordinary Family Pension
The enhanced rate of ordinary family pension shall be payable for a period of ten years, without any upper age limit from the date of following the date of death of the personnel, to the family of a personnel who dies in service. 50% of reckonable emoluments last drawn is granted as enhanced rate of Ordinary Family Pension.
Calculation of Enhanced Rate of OFP
Enhanced Rate of OFP = (Basic pay + Class Allowance + MSP + DA+ X Group Pay (if any)/2 + Dearness Relief.
