Extra Pension for Senior Exservicemen : A comprehensive Guide

The Extra amount of pension granted to central government pensioners including Exservicemen who are 80 years and above is typically referred to as “Additional quantum of Pension.” This additional pension is provided to older pensioners to help them cope with the rising cost of living due to inflation and medical expenses at old age. It is a form of financial support provided by the government to ensure that pensioners continue to receive a reasonable standard of living as they age.

Some major points that support the necessity of the additional quantum of pension to 80 years and above central government pensioners including Exservicemen and Family Pensioners.

Inflation Impact.- As individuals age, their medical and other expenses tend to increase. Inflation erodes the purchasing power of their fixed pension income, making it more challenging for them to meet their basic needs.

Financial Security – The additional pension provides financial security to elderly pensioners who may have limited or no other sources of income. It helps them maintain a decent quality of life during their retirement years.

Social Welfare – It is a welfare measure by the government to recognize and support elderly citizens who have contributed to the public service. It is a way of showing gratitude for their years of service. Moreover, medical expenses at this age increases to higher range.

Encouragement to Retire – The availability of additional pension for those over 80 can also serve as an encouragement for government employees to retire at a reasonable age, allowing for younger individuals to enter the workforce.

The specific rules and rates for Dearness Relief or Additional Pension may vary by country and government. It’s essential to refer to the pension guidelines provided by the central government or relevant pension authority to understand the eligibility criteria and the exact amount of additional pension granted to elderly pensioners in your region. These policies may change over time, so it’s crucial to stay informed about the latest updates if you are a pensioner or nearing retirement age.

Those Senior Citizen pensioners who have crossed their age 80 years, additional pension is admissible. Family pensioners who have completed 80 years or more are also permitted to draw additional quantum of pension.

Procedure to Grant of Additional Pension

The following procedure will be adopted by the Pension Disbursing Agencies (PDA) for regulating this additional pension :

In cases where the date of birth (DoB) is available in the PPO / pensioner’s records (ie., Descriptive Roll etc), the additional pension will be admitted straightaway by the PDA.

For eg., if the DoB is 12.4.1926, additional pension @ 20% will be admitted from 1.4.2006 onwards.

If only age is mentioned on PPO – Determination of Date of effectiveness

In case where DoB is NOT available in PPO/pensioner’s records, but age is available in the PPO / pension records, additional pension will be admitted from the January of the next year. For eg., if the age is shown as 36 yrs in the PPO issued in 1965 (say S/2352/1965), then the pensioner would have completed the age of 80 years in 2009. Therefore additional pension at 20% will be admitted from 1.1.2010.

Procedure to determine age If the age of the Pensioner or DOB nothing is mentioned on PPO

Additional pension can be admitted on the basis of DoB of the pensioner / family pensioner as intimated by the concerned Record Office/ IHQ MOD. In case, neither the age nor date of birth is available in the PPO/pension records, the pensioner has to produce age proof such as Passport, Driving Licence, CGHS/ ECHS Card, Matriculation Certificate, Voters ID Card. Based on the same, additional pension can be admitted provisionally for six months only, by the PDA. The pensioner has to submit the attested age proof (4 copies) to his Record Office/ IHQ MOD to enable them to notify the DoB through a corrigendum PPO.

Some modification of the determination of actual date of effectiveness for Additional quantum of pension has been released by the DOPT in Aug 2023. You may read the article here-

In respect of Armed Forces PSU absorbees who are in receipt of 1/3rd restored pension, additional pension will be admitted on 1/3rd restored pension and not on full pension. In case a pensioner is in receipt of two pension