Ahead of Diwali, the Central Government has announced an additional pension benefit for senior pensioners.
Pensioners aged 80 and above will receive an extra amount, known as a compassionate allowance, as per a circular from the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions.
To make the process easier, the Ministry has issued updated guidelines for distributing this additional pension to retired employees of Central Government Civil Services who are 80 years or older.
According to sub-rule 6 of rule 44 of the CCS (Pension) Rules 2021, this allowance will apply to eligible retired government employees once they turn 80 or older.
Guidelines for Extra Pension
The Ministry of Pension has released new guidelines for retired Central Government employees aged 80 and older.
The goal of these guidelines is to make it easier to distribute these additional allowances.
As stated in the CCS (Pension) Rules 2021, pensioners will receive the additional pension once they turn 80.
Pension Benefits Based on Age Group
The additional pension benefit will vary based on age brackets:
1) Pensioners aged 80 to 85 years will receive an extra 20% of their basic pension.
2) Those aged 85 to 90 will receive 30%.
3) Pensioners aged 90 to 95 will be eligible for 40% extra.
4) Those aged 95 to 100 years will get 50% more.
5) Super seniors aged 100 or more will receive a full 100% of their basic pension as additional benefit.
For example, a pensioner born on August 20, 1942, would be eligible for 20% extra pension from August 1, 2022.
Immediate Eligibility Upon Reaching Age
The notification from the Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare states that the extra pension or compassionate allowance will begin from the first day of the month in which the pensioner reaches the specified age.
This added support aims to help pensioners manage higher living costs as they age.
To avoid delays, all relevant departments and banks have been instructed to inform pensioners about these changes, ensuring all eligible individuals receive their benefits promptly.
