New Rules on Life Certificate Submission for Enhanced Family Pension – Key Guidelines You Must Know
The Government of India has issued an important clarification regarding the submission of Life Certificates for continuing enhanced family pension under specific categories of the CCS (EOP) Rules, 1939 and CCS (EOP) Rules, 2023. This update is crucial for parents receiving family pension after the death of a Government servant.
This article explains the new instructions issued through the Office Memorandum dated 18 November 2025 by the Central Pension Accounting Office (CPAO).
What Has Changed?
The latest guidelines now make it mandatory for both parents to submit their annual Life Certificates to continue receiving the enhanced family pension.
This applies to categories:
- Category ‘D’ & ‘E’ under CCS (EOP) Rules, 1939, and
- Category ‘C’ & ‘D’ under CCS (EOP) Rules, 2023
These categories provide enhanced family pension at 75% of the last pay drawn by the deceased Government servant.
Why Both Parents Must Submit Life Certificates?
According to the clarification issued by the Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare (DoP&PW), enhanced family pension often continues jointly for parents when the deceased employee was unmarried or had no eligible family member.
However, if one parent passes away, the surviving parent becomes the sole beneficiary.
To prevent overpayment due to non-reporting of death of one parent, the government has made the submission of Life Certificates by both parents compulsory every year.
Responsibility of Banks and CPPCs
The OM clearly directs all Centralized Pension Processing Centres (CPPCs) and authorized banks to:
- Ensure strict compliance with the new rules.
- Obtain Life Certificates from both parents every year.
- Continue enhanced family pension only after verifying both certificates.
This means pension disbursing banks must update their systems and verify both Life Certificates before releasing the enhanced family pension amount.
How Parents Can Submit Life Certificates
Parents receiving enhanced family pension can submit Life Certificates through any of the following methods:
1. Jeevan Pramaan (Digital Life Certificate)
- Submit through Aadhaar-based biometric authentication.
- Can be done at home using the Jeevan Pramaan app with a biometric device.
2. Bank Branch
- Traditional paper Life Certificate format available at any pension disbursing bank.
3. Pension Office or Designated Centres
- Can be submitted at government offices authorized to collect Life Certificates.
Who Issued the New Instructions?
The new instructions were issued by:
Ajay Chaudhary
Sr. Accounts Officer (IT & Tech)
Central Pension Accounting Office (CPAO)
Ministry of Finance, Department of Expenditure
The OM was issued with the approval of the Chief Controller (Pensions).
Why This Update Is Important
This change ensures:
- Transparency in pension disbursement
- Prevention of excess or wrongful payments
- Accurate identification of eligible beneficiaries
Parents who depend on family pension must follow this process to avoid delays or stoppage of pension.