Before you calculate: how defence pensions differ
Armed forces pensions are not governed by the CCS (Pension) Rules that apply to civilians. They are regulated by the Pension Regulations of the Army, Navy and Air Force and by orders of the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare (DESW), Ministry of Defence, and today most are disbursed through SPARSH. Pay commission recommendations for the forces are implemented through separate DESW orders, usually issued after the civilian orders. So treat this page as a rough estimate of the basic-pension element only.
Key differences to keep in mind:
- Military Service Pay (MSP): for most ranks MSP was counted as part of the pay on which pension was calculated. The basic pension on your PPO already reflects it, so enter that figure as it is.
- One Rank One Pension (OROP): OROP revisions are separate from pay commissions and are carried out periodically by DESW orders. An 8th CPC revision and a future OROP revision could interact in ways no simple calculator can predict.
- Disability and war injury elements: disability element, war injury element and liberalised family pension are calculated under their own rules (often as a percentage tied to disability and rank). This calculator does not handle them. Enter only the service pension or ordinary family pension.
- Family pension: ordinary family pension at enhanced rate (50%) is payable for 10 years after a death in service with no upper age limit, and for seven years or till the deceased would have reached 67 after a death following retirement. The seven-year service condition for the enhanced rate was removed from 1 October 2019 (PIB, Ministry of Defence).
- Reservist, Territorial Army and DSC pensions have their own rules.
What the calculator assumes
The method is the same as for civilian pensioners because the 7th CPC used the same 2.57 multiplier for the basic pension of pre-2016 armed forces pensioners, with DR restarting from zero, and the ₹9,000 minimum pension applied to them too. Additional pension for age (20% at 80, rising to 100% at 100) is added automatically; confirm on your PPO that it applies to you. DR is set to 60% from 1 January 2026, the same rate announced for all central pensioners. If you prefer, choose "Family pension" in the pension type box for ordinary family pension.
Example: an ex-Havildar with a basic pension of ₹25,000, aged 62, draws ₹40,000 a month today including DR. At a factor of 2.57 the estimated new basic pension is ₹64,250; at 2.86 it is ₹71,500. The increase in total monthly pension is ₹24,250 and ₹31,500 respectively — before any OROP effect.
Where to check your figures
- SPARSH portal or your PPO/e-PPO for basic pension, additional pension and the enhanced-family-pension end date.
- Your bank or Defence Pension Disbursing Office statement for DR actually credited.
- DESW orders (desw.gov.in) and PIB releases for official decisions once the 8th CPC report is accepted.
A note on misinformation
Defence pensioner groups on WhatsApp often circulate unverified tables and "confirmed" multipliers. As of 28 October 2026 the 8th CPC has not recommended anything, and no rank-wise 8th CPC pension table exists. Never share OTPs, bank details or SPARSH credentials with anyone who offers to calculate or "update" your pension. Report such messages to the cybercrime helpline 1930.
For full details on the factors, see the fitment factor calculator; for ready-made numbers, the pension chart.
Who should use this page
Ex-servicemen of the Army, Navy and Air Force drawing service pension, their widows drawing ordinary family pension, and families helping them read the numbers. If your pension includes a disability or war injury element, or you are awaiting an OROP revision, use the result only as a rough guide to the service element.
How to use the calculator
- Log in to SPARSH (or check your e-PPO / pension slip) and note the basic pension — not the total credited.
- Enter it with your age; additional pension at 80+ is added automatically.
- For a widow's ordinary family pension, choose a family pension type.
- Compare factors 2.57, 2.86 and 3.833. Remember that MoD orders usually follow the civilian orders.
Worked examples (service element only)
| Basic pension | Total today (60% DR) | New basic ×2.57 | New basic ×2.86 | New basic ×3.833 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ₹9,000 | ₹14,400 | ₹23,130 | ₹25,740 | ₹34,497 |
| ₹18,000 | ₹28,800 | ₹46,260 | ₹51,480 | ₹68,994 |
| ₹25,000 | ₹40,000 | ₹64,250 | ₹71,500 | ₹95,825 |
| ₹40,000 | ₹64,000 | ₹1,02,800 | ₹1,14,400 | ₹1,53,320 |
No official rank-wise 8th CPC table exists. We have deliberately not published a rank-wise table, because the 7th CPC's rank-wise figures for armed forces pensioners came from separate Ministry of Defence orders and OROP tables, and no equivalent exists for the 8th CPC.
Common mistakes
- Including the disability element. Enter only service pension or ordinary family pension.
- Using a month with arrears. OROP or DR arrears make one month's credit look larger.
- Sharing SPARSH details. SPARSH has warned that no WhatsApp numbers are authorised for SPARSH queries. Use the portal, the helpline 1800-180-5325 or an authorised SPARSH Service Centre.