Family Pension Calculator

Calculate Enhanced Rate (50%) and Ordinary Rate (30%) family pension, Dearness Relief, CGHS entitlement, gratuity and complete year-by-year payout schedule for Central Government employees — updated for India 2026.

50%Enhanced Rate (7 yrs)
30%Ordinary Rate (Lifetime)
DR 55%Dearness Relief Jan 2026
₹9,000Min. Family Pension

Family Pension Calculator 2026

Enter employee/pensioner details to get full family pension breakdown and payout schedule

Scenario Type
Death While In ServiceDeath After Retirement
Determines eligibility for Enhanced Rate
Pay Level (7th CPC)
— Select Level —Level 1 – Basic ₹18,000 (GP 1800)Level 2 – Basic ₹19,900 (GP 1900)Level 3 – Basic ₹21,700 (GP 2000)Level 4 – Basic ₹25,500 (GP 2400)Level 5 – Basic ₹29,200 (GP 2800)Level 6 – Basic ₹35,400 (GP 4200)Level 7 – Basic ₹44,900 (GP 4600)Level 8 – Basic ₹47,600 (GP 4800)Level 9 – Basic ₹53,100 (GP 5400 Non-Gazetted)Level 10 – Basic ₹56,100 (GP 5400 Gazetted)Level 11 – Basic ₹67,700 (GP 6600)Level 12 – Basic ₹78,800 (GP 7600)Level 13 – Basic ₹1,23,100 (GP 8700)Level 14 – Basic ₹1,44,200 (GP 10000)Custom – Enter below
Last Basic Pay Drawn (₹/month)

Auto-filled from level above, or enter manually
Qualifying Service (Years)

For death in service: min 1 year; Enhanced: min 7 years
Dearness Relief Rate (%)

Current DR: 55% (Jan–Jun 2026) on family pension
Date of Death / Retirement

For Enhanced Rate period calculation

Pension Being Drawn at Time of Death (₹)

If known; else leave blank to auto-calculate from basic
Commuted Pension Amount (₹/month)

Deducted from gross pension; affects family pension base

🟢 Phase 1 – Enhanced Rate (50%)

—
50% of last pay drawn
+ DR — → Total: —
Duration: —

🟡 Phase 2 – Ordinary Rate (30%)

—
30% of last pay drawn
+ DR — → Total: —
Duration: Lifetime (after Phase 1)

💰 Detailed Pension Breakdown
Last Basic Pay Drawn—
Qualifying Service—
Enhanced Rate Eligible?—
Enhanced Rate (50% of basic)—
Dearness Relief on Enhanced (DR%)—
Total Enhanced Rate + DR—
Enhanced Period (months)—
Total Enhanced Period Payout—
Ordinary Rate (30% of basic)—
Minimum Floor Applied?—
Dearness Relief on Ordinary (DR%)—
Total Ordinary Rate + DR—
CGHS Medical Allowance (if opted)—
💰 Monthly Family Pension (Phase 1 — with DR)
—
🏠 Monthly Family Pension (Phase 2 — with DR)
—

🏦 Gratuity Calculation
Gratuity Type—
Formula Used—
Calculated Gratuity—
Maximum Gratuity Ceiling—
Gratuity Payable (capped)—
Tax on Gratuity—

📅 Family Pension Payment Timeline

📈 Year-by-Year Payout Schedule (First 15 Years)

📊 Family Pension – All Levels Comparison

Family Pension – Complete Guide (India 2026)

Rules, eligibility, rates, DCRG and tax treatment under CCS Pension Rules 1972

👨‍👩‍👧 What is Family Pension?

DEFINITION

Family Pension Explained

Family Pension is a monthly financial support paid by the government to the eligible family members (primarily spouse) of a Central Government employee or pensioner after their death. It is governed by Rule 54 of CCS (Pension) Rules 1972.

ELIGIBILITY

Who Is Eligible?

Family pension is payable to: (1) Spouse — for life (or until remarriage); (2) Children — until age 25, or until marriage (daughters), or until they start earning >₹9,000+DR/month; (3) Dependent parents — if no eligible spouse/children.

ENHANCED

Enhanced Rate – 50%

Payable when the employee/pensioner had 7+ years of qualifying service. Rate = 50% of last basic pay. Payable for 7 years from death or until the deceased would have turned 67 years, whichever is earlier.

ORDINARY

Ordinary Rate – 30%

30% of last basic pay drawn. Payable for life after the Enhanced Rate period ends, or immediately if not eligible for Enhanced Rate. Minimum ₹9,000/month + DR. Maximum: 30% of highest pay in Government (₹2,50,000).

DR

Dearness Relief

DR is paid on family pension at the same rate as DA for serving employees. Current DR: 55% (Jan–Jun 2026). DR is revised twice yearly (Jan & Jul). At ordinary rate pension of ₹9,000, DR of 55% adds ₹4,950 → total ₹13,950/month.

MINIMUM

Minimum & Maximum

Minimum: ₹9,000/month (basic) + DR. Even if 30% of basic is below this, ₹9,000 is paid. Maximum: 30% of ₹2,50,000 = ₹75,000/month + DR for ordinary; 50% of ₹2,50,000 = ₹1,25,000/month + DR for enhanced.

CGHS

CGHS & Medical

Family pensioners retain CGHS membership for life. If no CGHS facility in their city, a Fixed Medical Allowance (FMA) of ₹1,000/month is paid in lieu. CGHS contribution: ₹250/month (Level 1–5) to ₹650/month (Level 14+).

TAX

Tax Treatment

Family pension received by spouse/children is taxable as “Income from Other Sources”. However, a deduction of ₹15,000 or 1/3rd of pension, whichever is lower, is available u/s 57(iia). DR on family pension is also taxable. Pension to disabled children may get additional relief.

📊 Enhanced Rate vs Ordinary Rate – Complete Comparison

Special Case: If the pensioner was in receipt of an invalid pension or compassionate allowance, family pension is calculated at 30% of the pay last drawn — not on the actual pension being drawn. For pensioners drawing pension for 7+ years before death, the family directly gets ordinary rate from day 1.

👥 Who Receives Family Pension – Priority Order

1

Spouse (Widow/Widower): First priority. Payable for life or until remarriage. After remarriage, family pension continues only if there are dependent children. A judicially separated spouse is also eligible.

2

Children (Sons): After spouse’s death or ineligibility — up to age 25 years or until they start earning more than ₹9,000+DR per month, whichever is earlier. Born within a year of retirement are included.

3

Children (Unmarried Daughters): Same age limit as sons — until age 25 or marriage, whichever is earlier. Divorced/widowed daughters may continue beyond 25 if dependent. Income limit ₹9,000+DR applies.

4

Disabled Children: Eligible for lifetime family pension regardless of age, as long as they are unable to earn a living due to physical/mental disability. No income limit applies. Continues beyond age 25.

5

Dependent Parents: If no eligible spouse or children — parents who were wholly dependent on the deceased and whose income is less than ₹9,000+DR/month are eligible. Mother has priority over father.

6

Minor Children (through guardian): If children are minors, family pension is paid to the legal guardian on their behalf. When the child turns 18, it is paid directly to them.

🏦 Death Cum Retirement Gratuity (DCRG) – 2026

Monthly Emoluments for gratuity = Basic Pay + DA + NPA (if any). The ceiling of ₹20 lakh applies to all types of gratuity. This was revised from ₹10 lakh to ₹20 lakh under the 7th CPC. For retirement gratuity: max = ¼ × (Basic+DA) × 66 half-years = 16.5 × monthly pay (capped at ₹20L).
🔗 Related: Pension Commutation Calculator | Pensioners’ Portal Official

💰 Family Pension Amounts – All Levels with DR (Jan 2026)

* Minimum Floor: If 30% of basic is below ₹9,000, the minimum ₹9,000 is paid. This applies for Level 1–5 ordinary rate. For Enhanced rate, 50% of basic is already above ₹9,000 for all levels. DR is 55% on the pension amount (Jan–Jun 2026).

📘 How to Use the Family Pension Calculator

Start by selecting whether the case is death while in service or death after retirement. That choice affects the enhanced-rate period and the supporting inputs shown in the form. Then select the 7th CPC Pay Level or enter the last Basic Pay manually if the exact figure is already known from the service record or PPO.

Enter qualifying service, the applicable Dearness Relief rate and the date of death or retirement event. For death-after-retirement cases, the calculator can also use the pension being drawn and any commuted-pension reduction. These fields help distinguish current pension cash flow from the family pension base.

Use the options section to include or exclude Enhanced Rate, DR, CGHS/FMA and the minimum pension floor. Keeping the options visible makes it easier to test a rule scenario without changing the underlying Basic Pay.

After calculation, review the Enhanced and Ordinary phase boxes first, then the detailed breakdown, gratuity section, timeline and year-by-year payout schedule. This sequence makes the result much easier to verify against the PPO or sanction order.

🟢 Enhanced Rate vs Ordinary Rate: Practical Difference

Enhanced Rate and Ordinary Rate are two different phases of family pension. The enhanced phase is higher and generally applies for a limited period when the eligibility conditions are met, while the ordinary phase becomes the long-term pension after the enhanced period ends.

The calculator presents both phases side by side so the family can see the change in monthly income before it happens. This is useful for planning because the drop from 50% to 30% of last Basic Pay can be significant even before Dearness Relief is considered.

If the enhanced-rate eligibility period is shorter because of the age limit or date conditions, the timeline generated by the calculator should be checked carefully. Do not assume that every case automatically receives the maximum number of enhanced-rate years.

For a dedicated pension-side DR check, use the DA Calculator for Pensioners with the family pension amount shown here. That keeps the base pension and DR percentage easy to audit separately.

💰 Minimum Family Pension and DR

The minimum pension option ensures that the ordinary family pension does not fall below the floor built into the page logic. This matters most at lower Pay Levels, where 30% of Basic Pay can be less than the minimum amount.

Dearness Relief is then applied to the eligible family pension amount. A higher DR rate increases the total monthly payout, but the underlying family pension rate itself remains the same unless there is a separate pension revision.

When checking a bank credit, compare Basic Family Pension and DR separately. If the total differs, first verify the basic amount, then the DR percentage, and only after that check FMA or other additions.

If the pension itself has been revised after a pay change or later government order, verify the updated base first with the Revised Pension Calculator before using this page for a fresh DR or payout comparison.

👨‍👩‍👧 Who Gets Family Pension and in What Order

Family pension is not just a percentage calculation; eligibility order also matters. The page’s guide explains the priority sequence among spouse, children, disabled dependants and dependent parents. The calculator focuses on amount and duration, so entitlement documents still need to be checked separately.

For spouse cases, the enhanced/ordinary sequence is usually the main calculation issue. For children, age, marital status, dependency and income conditions can determine whether payment continues. Disabled dependants may have different continuation rules from other children.

Where multiple eligible family members exist, use the pension sanction or PPO to confirm who is the current beneficiary before interpreting the calculator result. A correct rupee figure is useful only when the correct beneficiary category is being applied.

Keep nomination, family details and dependency records up to date because delays in pension processing often arise from documentation rather than from the percentage calculation itself.

🏦 Gratuity and Family Pension Are Separate Benefits

Family pension is a recurring monthly benefit, while death or retirement gratuity is a separate lump-sum benefit. The calculator shows both so users can see the difference between ongoing monthly support and one-time settlement amounts.

Do not add gratuity to the monthly pension base or use the family-pension percentage to estimate gratuity. The gratuity formula uses its own service-length and emolument rules, and the page displays the formula separately for this reason.

If you want a broader explanation of gratuity, retirement benefits and pension rules, see the Pension Rules Guide. That resource is better suited for understanding how the different retirement benefits fit together.

For practical record-keeping, save the gratuity sanction separately from the family-pension PPO. This makes future tax, nomination and bank-credit reconciliation easier.

📅 Using the Timeline and 15-Year Payout Schedule

The timeline is useful for understanding when the enhanced phase ends and the ordinary phase begins. The year-by-year payout table then shows how the monthly pension and cumulative amount build over time.

Use the timeline for dates and the year table for cash-flow planning. They answer different questions: the timeline shows when the pension phase changes, while the table shows the amount received during each year.

If the DR rate changes in future years, the long-term table should be treated as a projection based on the rate entered today. A later DR revision will change the rupee totals even if the basic family pension remains unchanged.

For that reason, save the calculation date and DR rate together with the result. When the next revision occurs, rerun the calculator and compare the new projection with the old one.

🧮 Last Basic Pay, Pay Level and Family Pension Base

The last Basic Pay is the most important salary input in the calculator because both enhanced and ordinary family pension are derived from it. Selecting the wrong Pay Level can therefore change every downstream result.

If the latest payslip or service book shows a different matrix cell from the level default, enter the actual Basic Pay manually. The Pay Matrix Calculator can help verify the correct 7th CPC matrix value before the family pension is calculated.

For death after retirement, the pension being drawn can provide an additional cross-check, but the family-pension rules may still refer back to the last pay or pension-sanction basis. Use the PPO as the controlling document when the calculator estimate and actual sanction differ.

Avoid using gross salary, Basic plus DA, or total pension including DR in the last-Basic field. Those amounts would overstate the family pension base.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common queries about Family Pension rules for Central Govt. employees in India

For how long is the Enhanced Rate (50%) of family pension paid?▾
The Enhanced Rate of family pension (50% of last pay) is payable for a period of 7 years from the date of death, or up to the date on which the deceased employee/pensioner would have attained the age of 67 years, whichever is earlier. For example, if an employee died at age 45, the enhanced rate continues for 7 full years (until the family member has received 84 monthly payments). But if the employee died at age 64, only 3 years of enhanced rate apply (till age 67 limit). After this period, the family pension automatically shifts to the Ordinary Rate of 30%. Minimum qualifying service for Enhanced Rate is 7 years of continuous government service.
What happens to family pension if the spouse remarries?▾
If the widow/widower remarries, family pension is stopped from the date of remarriage. However, there are important exceptions: (1) If there are dependent children from the deceased government employee, family pension continues to be paid on behalf of the children (through the guardian) even after the surviving spouse remarries. (2) If the spouse has a disabled child, the pension continues through an appropriate guardian. The amount remains the same — it doesn’t increase or decrease due to remarriage. The DDO must be notified of remarriage; concealing remarriage to continue receiving pension is a criminal offence under CCS (Pension) Rules.
Is family pension taxable? What deductions are available?▾
Yes, family pension is taxable as “Income from Other Sources” (not as Salary) in the hands of the recipient. However, a specific deduction is available under Section 57(iia) of the Income Tax Act: the recipient can deduct ₹15,000 or 1/3rd of the family pension received, whichever is lower. This deduction applies to the basic family pension amount. Dearness Relief received on family pension is also taxable. Example: If monthly family pension is ₹30,000/year = ₹3,60,000; deduction = lower of ₹15,000 or ₹1,20,000 (1/3rd) = ₹15,000; taxable = ₹3,45,000 + DR. Disabled children receiving family pension may claim additional deductions u/s 80DD and 80U.
What is the minimum family pension in 2026?▾
The minimum family pension is ₹9,000 per month (basic), as revised under the 7th Pay Commission. Even if 30% of the last drawn basic pay is below ₹9,000, the family receives the minimum of ₹9,000. On this minimum, Dearness Relief at 55% (Jan 2026) adds ₹4,950 — making the effective minimum family pension ₹13,950 per month. Additionally, if there is no CGHS facility in the city, Fixed Medical Allowance of ₹1,000/month is added, making the minimum ₹14,950/month. The minimum is expected to be revised upward under the 8th Pay Commission implementation in 2026.
Can both husband and wife receive family pension simultaneously?▾
Yes — in a special case. If both husband and wife were Central Government employees and both have since died, each of their family pensions accrues separately. However, a single individual cannot draw two family pensions simultaneously as a general rule. Exception: If both parents were government servants and both have died, their children can receive two family pensions — one from each parent’s service — but the combined amount is limited. The rules were relaxed via DOPPW O.M. dated 26 August 2016 allowing spouses of government employees to receive their own family pension from their own service separately from the family pension received as a widow/widower from their deceased spouse’s service.
When does family pension stop for children?▾
Family pension to children ceases when any of the following occurs first: (1) Child attains age 25; (2) Child gets married (daughters — stops at marriage regardless of age); (3) Child’s income from all sources exceeds ₹9,000/month + applicable DR (currently ₹13,950/month); (4) Son gets employed in a regular government or private job earning above the income limit. Exception — Disabled children are exempt from the age limit and income limit — they receive family pension for life. If multiple children are eligible, the pension is paid to the eldest first; after they become ineligible, it passes to the next child.
Is Death Gratuity tax-free?▾
Yes. Death Gratuity received by the family members (nominee/legal heirs) upon the death of a Central Government employee in service is completely tax-free with no limit under Section 10(10)(i) of the Income Tax Act. Similarly, Retirement Gratuity is tax-free up to ₹20 lakh (revised under 7th CPC) under Section 10(10)(ii) for government employees. Any amount above ₹20 lakh would be taxable as salary income. However, for Central Govt. employees, the gratuity never exceeds ₹20 lakh due to the statutory ceiling, so it is effectively always fully tax-free in practice.
How to apply for family pension after the pensioner’s death?▾
The family should follow these steps: (1) Obtain Death Certificate from local Municipal Authority; (2) Submit Form 14 (Family Pension Application) to the Head of Office / DDO along with the death certificate, PPO copy, and KYC documents; (3) The Head of Office prepares a Revised PPO (Pension Payment Order) for family pension and forwards to PAO/CPAO; (4) CPAO verifies and sends to the bank branch for activation; (5) Bank processes and starts the family pension from the following month. The process typically takes 30–90 days. Meanwhile, the widow/widower may apply for an interim relief. The Bhavishya portal (bhavishya.nic.in) can be used to track the PPO status online.