Family pension rules today (7th CPC)
Family pension for central civil employees is governed by Rule 50 of the CCS (Pension) Rules, 2021. There are two rates, both calculated on the last pay drawn (basic pay) of the employee:
| Rate | Amount | Limits | When it applies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal (ordinary) | 30% of last pay | Min ₹9,000 · Max ₹75,000 | Default rate; also applies after the enhanced period ends |
| Enhanced | 50% of last pay | Min ₹9,000 · Max ₹1,25,000 | For a limited period after death (see below) |
How long the enhanced rate lasts
- Death while in service: enhanced rate for 10 years from the day after death. Since 1 October 2019 there is no minimum service requirement — the earlier condition of seven years' continuous service was removed.
- Death after retirement: enhanced rate for seven years, or until the date the deceased would have turned 67, whichever is earlier. It cannot exceed the pension that was authorised to the pensioner. DoPPW clarified in October 2025 that this applies whatever the retirement age.
After the enhanced period, family pension falls to the normal 30% rate. Your Pension Payment Order (PPO) shows both amounts and the date the enhanced rate ends.
Additional family pension for older family pensioners
Family pensioners aged 80 and above get additional family pension on the basic family pension: 20% from 80, 30% from 85, 40% from 90, 50% from 95 and 100% from 100 years, payable from the first day of the month in which the age is reached. Dearness Relief (60% since 1 January 2026) is paid on basic family pension plus additional family pension. Enter the family pensioner's age in the calculator and it is added automatically.
How the 8th CPC revision is estimated
Under the 7th CPC, family pension was revised the same way as pension: the family pension being drawn was multiplied by 2.57 and DR restarted at zero. This calculator applies your chosen fitment factor to your current basic family pension, raises it to an estimated new minimum (₹9,000 × factor) if needed, and limits it to the estimated new maximum for that rate. For example, a widow drawing the minimum ₹9,000 family pension at age 70 receives ₹14,400 today with DR. At a factor of 2.57 the estimated new family pension is ₹23,130; at 2.86 it is ₹25,740.
If you are currently drawing enhanced family pension and it is due to drop to the normal rate before the revision, run the calculator twice — once with the enhanced amount and once with the normal amount — to see both phases.
Working out family pension from last pay
If you do not have the PPO at hand, the helper box above calculates both rates from the employee's last basic pay under the 7th CPC (for example ₹56,100 gives ₹16,830 normal and ₹28,050 enhanced). Use the button to copy the figure into the calculator. If the employee retired or died before 2016, use the revised 7th CPC family pension shown on your latest PPO or bank statement instead, because pre-2016 amounts were already revised.
Common questions from family pensioners
Many family pensioners worry whether the 8th CPC covers them. The Commission's Terms of Reference include retirement benefits, and the Government has stated that pensions are within its scope; family pensions have been revised along with pensions after every past pay commission. A viral claim that pensioners would stop getting pay commission revisions under the Finance Act 2025 was declared fake by PIB Fact Check on 13 November 2025. As with all figures here, wait for the official order before relying on any amount, and never share OTPs or bank details with anyone offering to "calculate" your pension.
See also the main pension calculator, the ready-reckoner chart and the latest update.
Who this page is for
Widows and widowers of central government employees and pensioners, and other eligible family members — children up to 25, unmarried, widowed or divorced daughters, disabled children and siblings, and dependent parents — in the order laid down in the family pension rules. It also helps families who must claim family pension after a pensioner's death and want to know what to expect.
How to use the calculator
- If you know your current basic family pension (from the PPO or bank slip), enter it and choose normal or enhanced rate.
- If you only know the employee's last basic pay, use the helper box: it works out 30% and 50% and copies the figure into the calculator.
- Enter the family pensioner's age — additional family pension starts at 80.
- Choose a fitment factor and press Calculate. Run it twice if your enhanced rate will end before the revision.
Worked examples from last pay
| Last basic pay | Normal family pension (30%, min ₹9,000) | Enhanced (50%) | Normal at ×2.57 (estimate) | Enhanced at ×2.57 (estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ₹18,000 | ₹9,000 | ₹9,000 | ₹23,130 | ₹23,130 |
| ₹35,400 | ₹10,620 | ₹17,700 | ₹27,294 | ₹45,489 |
| ₹56,100 | ₹16,830 | ₹28,050 | ₹43,254 | ₹72,089 |
| ₹1,00,000 | ₹30,000 | ₹50,000 | ₹77,100 | ₹1,28,500 |
At ₹18,000 last pay, 30% is ₹5,400, so the ₹9,000 minimum applies. Enhanced family pension cannot exceed the pension that was authorised to a retired employee.
Common mistakes
- Using the employee's pension instead of last pay. Family pension is a percentage of last pay, not of pension (for post-2016 cases).
- Assuming enhanced rate lasts for life. It lasts 10 years after a death in service, or seven years / until the deceased would have turned 67 after a death following retirement.
- Not informing the bank promptly. The pensioner's death should be reported to the bank within a month; where a joint account exists, the spouse can claim with a simple letter and the death certificate.
- Missing the life certificate. Family pensioners must also submit one every November — see the life certificate guide.