Disbursement of Old Age, Disability and Widow Pensions

Ministry of Rural Development
Disbursement of Old Age, Disability and Widow Pensions

Posted On: 26 JUL 2018 5:59PM by PIB Delhi

Resolution of technical issues, if and when faced by the Banks, in dealing with assistance being disbursed through them is an ongoing process. No Bank has raised any issue related to any specific training requirement for their human resources for handling the pension issues.

Government has adopted the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) Scheme for direct transfer of benefit into the bank/post office accounts of beneficiaries of schemes under National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP). Instructions have been issued to the States for getting the due consent for seeding the Aadhaar details. Instructions also mention that disbursement of pension of any beneficiary could not be affected due to non-availability of Aadhaar number. Further, NSAP guidelines provide that given their physical, social and economic vulnerability, States should ensure that an infirm/old beneficiary will not have to travel far distance to access his/her pension account. As far as possible, for people who cannot cover distance physically, the objective is to provide door step delivery.

Several Banks in many states are using the services of Bank Sakhi's coming from self help groups to provide cost effective solutions for delivery of pensions at home.

This information was provided by the Minister of State for Rural Development, Shri Ram Kripal Yadav today in a written reply to a Lok Sabha question.

PIB

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Government notifies new disability pensions rule for armed forces

Government notifies new disability pensions rule for armed forces

New Delhi: The government has notified a new set of rules for disability pensions for the armed forces, a move that came in for criticism from the opposition parties and the security establishment.

The new rules replaces the decade-old system governed by the Sixth Central Pay Commission (6th CPC) instituted in 2006 under which disability pensions arising from battle injuries, or disabilities attributable to/aggravated by military service, were calculated on a percentage basis, related to the last pay drawn.

However, under the new scheme, disability pensions will be calculated according to a slab system that existed earlier.

What the military personnel are upset about is that civilians will continue to be paid pensions according to the earlier percentage system, which means that a civilian employee will have higher disability pension than his military counterpart.

This is very wrong. Our soldiers deserve better. I urge centre to increase disability pension n not decrease it, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala also attacked the Modi government for what it termed as downgrading the armed forces.

On one hand, the government carries out a surgical strike and on the other it reduces the disability pension, thereby downgrading their morale. Why have you thrown into dustbin the recommendations of the three service chiefs, Surjewala said.

Sources said that until the September 30 notification, officers and soldiers who had suffered 100 per cent disability in battle were entitled disability pension that matched their last pay drawn.

In addition, they would draw a service component of pension, which amounted to 50 per cent of their last pay drawn.

Under the new rules, which come into effect retrospectively from January 1, 2016, the service component remains unchanged, but a slab system has been introduced for disability pension, which is lower than the percentage system  Rs 27,000 a month for officers, 17,000 for junior commissioned officers (JCOs), and Rs 12,000 for all other ranks (ORs).

Senior officers from the services also expressed their disappointment with the new pension rules.

PTI

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One Rank One Pension gets ex-post facto Cabinet nod

One Rank One Pension gets ex-post facto Cabinet nod

The One Rank One Pension scheme, brought in last November to benefit more than 2.5 million ex- servicemen and war widows, today received ex-post facto approval from the Union Cabinet.

Under the scheme, pension would be revised on the basis of the pension of retirees of calendar year 2013 and the benefit will be effective from July 1, 2014.

In future, the pension would be revised every five years.

“The Union Cabinet has given its ex-post facto approval for implementation of OROP. Financial implications on account of grant of OROP, including pre-matured retiree cases, would be Rs 10,925.11 crore for payment of arrears and annual financial implication would be Rs 7,488.7 crore,” a statement here said.

Information is being gathered for processing on priority basis the cases of 1.15 lakh pensioners after filling in the gaps in information such as the length of service, it said.

Last month, the government had announced that it has credited revised pensionary benefits along with arrears under One Rank-One Pension scheme to more than 2 lakh pensioners drawing service and disability pensions.

PTI

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