“Mentally Retarded Child Also Entitled To Family Pension”

New Delhi, January 31 (TNA) Union Minister of State PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh has said that mentally retarded child of a deceased Government employee/Pensioner is entitled to Family Pension and the spirit of this provision needs to be understood and respected.

Giving details, the Minister said, this reiteration in public was necessitated by the fact that it has come to the notice of the Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare that in some cases the Banks are not allowing Family Pension in respect of a mentally retarded child through the person nominated by the Pensioner or his/her spouse and they insist for a Guardianship Certificate issued by a Court of Law.

The Department has, therefore, reiterated the provisions of the above rules. CMDs of all Pension Disbursing Banks have been advised to issue suitable instructions to their CPPCs/Pension Paying Branches for payment of Family Pension in respect of a mentally retarded child through the person nominated by the Government servant/Pensioner/ Family Pensioner in accordance with the statutory provisions of the Rules and not to insist for a Guardianship Certificate issued by Court of Law in such cases.

Pertinent to mention that in recent months, the Department of Pensions has introduced a number of path breaking reforms including relaxation in the provision of Family Pension for divorced daughters, introduction of Face Recognition Technology through mobile app for ease in submitting Life Certificate by elderly pensioners, Electronic Pension Pay Order, assistance from Postal Department to facilitate pension process etc.