PCDA Circulars 550 and 639 lays down the priority in case an Ex-Serviceman

Dear Veterans ,

1.   PCDA Circular 639 about the hierarchy of widowed/unmarried / divorced daughter to get ordinary family pension. The Circular 550 to know the hierarchy of eligibility (who will get family pension first on death of Ex-serviceman).

2.  Now this circulars 550 and 639 lays down the priority in case an Ex-Serviceman has the following: -

(a)   Legally wedded wife 

(b)  One child mentally or physically handicapped.

(c)   One or two dependent parents(mother is priority 1, followed by father)

(d)   Permanently disabled sibling (brother or sister)

(e)   Divorced / Unmarried / Widowed Daughter.

(f) One dependent parent.

(g) One divorced  widowed / unmarried daughter.

3.  When the Ex-Serviceman dies, his widow will get Ordinary family pension till her death or re-marriage (childless widow can remarry but her income from her all sources of income should be less than minimum family pension of the widow of Ex-Serviceman).

4.  When the widow with children re-marries she ceases to get Ordinary Family Pension.

5.  Next in line of priority to get ordinary family pension is permanently disabled child (eldest first) who is unable to earn an income due to his or her disability.

6.  Next is the dependent mother and on her death, the dependent father.

7.  Next is divorced or widowed or unmarried daughter.

8.  Next is the permanently disabled siblings (brother or sister).

9.   *An Interesting Case of a Childless Widow*. I got a case few days before of a daughter of a retired Brigadier married to a naval officer (Lt Cdr) who unfortunately died in a road accident. The daughter became *a childless widow* and has been sanctioned ordinary family pension which comes to Rs 46,500 today. The father writes to me seeking my advice when his daughter told him that Rs 46,500 is not adequate to meet her life style and hence took up a job which fetches her monthly salary more than her naval pension. I replied to the father that the daughter is only thinking of next few years but does not realise even in corporate sector she will have to retire after 60 years with no pension. She loses her ordinary family pension when her income from known sources is more than her OFP. But naval pension will keep going up every five years thanks to OROP (& IESM) and also whenever the Central Pay Commission recommendations are approved after every ten years. A day will come when her naval Ordinary Family Pension will be more than her salary from Corporate. She needs to put in pension funds almost 50% to meet her life style on retirement from corporate sector and her actual salary will be less than her naval OFP. The Brigadier says he will try and dissuade his daughter not to lose her naval pension