After and Before Retirement Must Do Action Steps for JCOs/OR

Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen used to retire at very young age and they need to get prepared well to manage career and family life after retirement. So, the preparation is completely different from a retired civilian counterpart. Here are some steps that are advisable to be taken by retired or future retirees of the Armed Forces.

Step-1 – Preparation for Reemployment/ Resettlement after Discharge from Armed Forces.

Step- 2 – Preparation for Safe, secure and smooth pension payment for Service pension, Disability pension and Family Pension for NOK as and when applicable.

In this article we will discuss Step-2 . Step 1 has already been discussed in another article.

At the time of retirement and during the preparatory phase of retirement, an average PBOR is very myopic and normally does not think beyond his timely payment of pension and other NE benefits. However, the Defence Pension authority are dealing with over 55,000/- new cases of Combatant PBOR every year efficiently.

Considering a lot of foresight on post retirement complications, the Defence pension authority recommend the following actions related to Pension and terminal benefits as a “MUST DO” for every soldiers before his discharge.

(a) He must make sure that his own name, his wife’s name, his children’s name and their date of birth is correctly recorded in the Record Copy of Sheet Roll at Record. You are shown this when at Discharge drill in the Record Office. It must be borne in mind that the name filled up in Descriptive Roll and Pension Claim forms at column ‘What is your name?’ is taken for issuance of Discharge Order and Pension Payment Order.

(b) He must make sure that DO-II/POR/ relevant records for all occurrences in general and financially affecting occurrences (Local Allowances, Leave encashment, GCB, Galantary award, Disability, Battle casualty, Injury Report, Sterilization Pay etc) in particular are promulgated and reflected in the Unit Document as well as Record office Sheet Roll/Dosier is updated in all respects. Check your SPARSH Data at your unit level and at Depot/ Record office as and when feasible.

(c) He must collect all eligible certificates from his last unit / Depot Regiment and properly maintain them because they are extremely useful for re-employment and other purposes in future. Graduation certificate, Fire Fighting Experience Certificate, Senior Citizen Certificate for Investment, Discharge Book, PPO, LPC, FSA etc. Ensure safe custody of your SPARSH User ID and Password.

(d) He must collect first pension, amount of Death-Cum-Retirement Gratuity and Commuted value of pension, in person (If through CPPC of Bank). In SPARSH Environment everything will be credited in your account immediate after retirement..

(e) He must get his name registered with his respective Zila Sainik Board (ZSB) and collect his Ex-serviceman Identity Card. Dependent I card for eligible dependents also available now. It must be remembered that ZSB extends help only to those ex-servicemen who are registered with them.

(f) He must mention his full particulars (Ser No, Rank, Name, SPARSH Pension ID and Date of Discharge etc) while making correspondence with Record Office, PCDA, SPARSH or any other agency. PCDA/Record can not recognise with name without his service No / SPARSH Pension ID and other details..

(g) He must preserve following documents after retirement: –

(i) Last Pay Certificate (LPC).
(ii) Copy of PPOs/Corrigendum PPOs.
(iii) Photocopy of updated Unit Copy of Sheet Roll (UCSR)./IAF-958
(iv) Discharge Book.
(v) Retired Officers Identity Card (Applicable only for HFO/HFL).
(vi) Ex-servicemen Identity Card Issued by Zila Sainik Board (ZSB).
(vii) Dependent Identity Card for family members issued by his last unit.
(viii) Post Retirement Insurance Certificate (PRIC) issued by AFGIS./ AGI/NGIS
(ix) AFWWA membership Card for IAF and similar organisation if exist for Army & Navy. Must be connected with larger community of ESM for example – ESM Info Club.
(x) SMART Card for ECHS membership.
(xi) Copies of all-important correspondence with Record/PCDA.
(xii) Pension Bank account details
xiii) Will

NOTE: He must brief his wife to preserve these documents even after his death, for as long as the wife is alive and drawing pension. Your SPARSH Profile must be kept well written in a Diary. Preliminary knowledge of Family pension must be imparted by your Family. You may share the article mentioned below with them.

(h) He must be clear about the procedure for treatment under ECHS. He must know his nearest ECHS hospital (Polyclinic/MH/Empanelled hospital).

(j) He must anticipate old age related problems, which happen after retirement i.e. Dental Care/ Artificial Dentures/ vulnerability to Cataract, prostrate, high BP, Diabetes, Arthritis etc. Besides taking preventive measures he must make full use of ECHS facilities for regular check up and treatment.

(k) He must endeavor to keep himself abreast of latest policies on pension & welfare through DAV / PCDA (P)/ Record office, www.sparsh.defencepension.gov.in or www.esminfoclub.com website and ensure that he gets correct pension at all times. Know more about after retirement action for a Defence pensioners here…