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Family Pension Rules for Central Government Employees

Families of Central Government civil servants and pensioners covered by the CCS (Pension) Rules, 2021Checked against official documents on 5 Oct 2026

Short answerFamily pension is 30% of the last pay, with a minimum of Rs 9,000 and a maximum of Rs 75,000 a month. If the employee dies in service, the family gets 50% of pay for ten years. It goes first to the spouse, then to eligible children, then dependent parents, then disabled dependent siblings.

When the Family Becomes Eligible

Your family gets family pension from the day after your death if you die (CCS (Pension) Rules 2021, Rule 50(1), PDF p. 82):

after completing one year of continuous service; or
before one year of continuous service, if you were medically examined and declared fit before appointment; or
after retirement, while receiving a pension or compassionate allowance.

Continuous service excludes suspension and service before age 18 (CCS (Pension) Rules 2021, Rule 50(1), Explanation, PDF p. 82).

Rates: Ordinary and Enhanced

Situation	Rate	Period	Limits
Ordinary rate	30% of pay	After any enhanced period ends	Min Rs 9,000, max Rs 75,000 a month (CCS (Pension) Rules 2021, Rule 50(2)(a)(i), PDF p. 82)
Death in service	50% of pay	10 years from the day after death (CCS (Pension) Rules 2021, Rule 50(2)(a)(ii), PDF p. 82)	Min Rs 9,000, max Rs 1,25,000 a month (CCS (Pension) Rules 2021, Rule 50(2)(a)(iv), PDF p. 83)
Death after retirement	50% of pay, but not more than the pension authorised on retirement	7 years, or until the date you would have turned 67, whichever is less (CCS (Pension) Rules 2021, Rule 50(2)(a)(iii), PDF p. 83)	Min Rs 9,000, max Rs 1,25,000 a month (CCS (Pension) Rules 2021, Rule 50(2)(a)(iv), PDF p. 83)

Pay means your last emoluments or average emoluments, whichever is more (CCS (Pension) Rules 2021, Rule 50(2), Explanation 1, PDF p. 83).
After the enhanced period ends, the family gets the ordinary rate (CCS (Pension) Rules 2021, Rule 50(2)(b), PDF p. 83).
Additional family pension starts at age 80: 20% of basic family pension from 80, 30% from 85, 40% from 90, 50% from 95, and 100% from 100 (CCS (Pension) Rules 2021, Rule 50(3)(a), PDF p. 84).

Order of Eligibility

Family pension is paid in this order (CCS (Pension) Rules 2021, Rule 50(6), PDF p. 85):

Widow or widower, including a post-retiral spouse and a judicially separated spouse.
Children, including adopted children, stepchildren and children born after retirement.
Dependent parents, including adoptive parents.
Dependent siblings with a mental or physical disability.

Normally only one member gets family pension at a time (CCS (Pension) Rules 2021, Rule 50(7)(a), PDF p. 85). A widow or widower gets it until death or remarriage, whichever is earlier, whatever her or his other income (CCS (Pension) Rules 2021, Rule 50(8)(a), PDF p. 86).

A female employee or pensioner who has a pending divorce, domestic violence, dowry or IPC case against her husband may ask the Head of Office in writing that, if she dies while it is pending, family pension go to her eligible children ahead of her husband (CCS (Pension) Amendment Rules 2024, G.S.R. 452(E), Rule 50(8)(ja), PDF p. 3).

Conditions for Children, Parents and Siblings

Son: unmarried, below 25 and not earning. Daughter: unmarried, widowed or divorced, and not earning (CCS (Pension) Rules 2021, Rule 50(9)(a), PDF p. 89).
A child is treated as earning if income from other sources equals or exceeds the minimum family pension plus dearness relief (CCS (Pension) Rules 2021, Rule 50(9)(b), PDF p. 90).
Children below 25 get it one at a time, in order of birth (CCS (Pension) Rules 2021, Rule 50(9)(d), PDF p. 90).
A son or daughter whose disability prevents earning a living can get it for life. If there are other eligible children below 25, they get it first, until the last of them turns 25 (CCS (Pension) Rules 2021, Rule 50(9)(h), PDF p. 90).
An unmarried, widowed or divorced daughter above 25 can get it for life, or until marriage, remarriage or earning, if no child under clause (d) or (h) is eligible (CCS (Pension) Rules 2021, Rule 50(9)(j), PDF p. 93).
Parents get it for life if they were dependent immediately before the death. The mother gets it first, then the father. Parents are dependent if their combined income is less than the minimum family pension plus dearness relief (CCS (Pension) Rules 2021, Rule 50(10), PDF p. 95).
Disabled siblings get it for life if they were wholly dependent immediately before the death (CCS (Pension) Rules 2021, Rule 50(11)(a), PDF p. 95).

Where to Check

Read Rule 50 of the CCS (Pension) Rules, 2021 (CCS (Pension) Rules 2021, Rule 50, PDF p. 82) with the 2024 amendment inserting clauses (ja) and (jb) (G.S.R. 452(E) dated 16.07.2024, PDF p. 3).

These rules cover Government servants appointed on or before 31 December 2003 (CCS (Pension) Rules 2021, Rule 2, PDF p. 12). They do not apply to railway servants (CCS (Pension) Rules 2021, Rule 2(a), PDF p. 12) or All India Services members (CCS (Pension) Rules 2021, Rule 2(e), PDF p. 13). Families of railway staff, AIS officers, armed forces personnel and NPS or UPS employees should check their own rules.

Official Sources

Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 2021 (DoPPW book edition, December 2021) · Department of Pension and Pensioners' Welfare, Government of India
CCS (Pension) Amendment Rules, 2024, G.S.R. 452(E) dated 16.07.2024 (Rule 50, family pension) · Department of Pension and Pensioners' Welfare, Government of India

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This article explains the official rules as published; it is not legal advice. Check the cited document, and your own department's orders, before acting.