The Centre has recently issued clarifications on the process for changing the name of a spouse in the pension records of retired government employees, according to a notification issued by the Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare (DoPPW).
This update follows a previous notification from October 2022 and aims to ensure consistent handling of such requests across government departments.
On October 24, 2024, the department, which comes under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, released an office memorandum that addressed the issue of changing a spouse’s name in the Pension Payment Order (PPO). According to the department, there is currently no specific procedure laid out in the CCS (Pension) Rules for making such changes to a spouse’s name after retirement.
The memorandum clarified that the PPO is issued based on the service records of the employee, which are maintained by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT). The service book is a key document in this process, and any updates or corrections to a pensioner’s records must be in line with these service records.
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In the same memorandum, the department noted that this matter was discussed in a review meeting with various ministries. It was pointed out that the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation should follow the guidelines in DoPT’s earlier office memorandum, dated March 12, 1987, for changing the name of a family pensioner in the records.
The memorandum emphasized that if there are any discrepancies in the documents submitted by a family pensioner, the ministry should address these issues directly with the concerned individual to ensure compliance with the 1987 guidelines.
The department has asked all Ministries and government departments to inform their personnel, especially those handling pension-related matters, about these provisions. The aim is to ensure that these procedures are followed correctly and consistently when processing requests for name changes in pension records.
This clarification helps streamline the process and ensures that the necessary steps are followed for making any updates to pensioner’s family details, especially when it concerns the name of a spouse. Government pensioners and their families are encouraged to review the guidelines and submit their requests accordingly.
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