Change in date of birth/age of family pensioners for payment of additional pension

No. 1(11)/2009-D (Pen/Pol)
Government of India
Ministry of Defence
Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare
New Delhi 110011

Dated : 23rd December 2014

To
The Chief of the Army Staff
The Chief of the Naval Staff
The Chief of the Air Staff

Subject : Change in date of birth/age of family pensioners for payment of additional pension.

Sir,
In accordance with the instructions issued vide GOI, MOD letter no. 17(4)/2008(1)-D (Pen/Policy) dated 11.11.2008 and GOI, MOD letter No. 1(11)/2009-D (Pen/Policy) dated 18th Aug 2009, additional pension/ family pension is allowed on the basis of the date of birth/age recorded in the Pension Payment Order/Discharge Certificate or other office records. Only in cases where the details regarding date of birth/age are not available in the PPO/Discharge Certificate or Office records, additional pension/family pension to old pensioners/family pensioners has been allowed on the basis of following documents �

a) PAN Card
b) Matriculation Certificate (containing information regarding date of birth)
c) Passport
d) ECHS Card
e) Driving License (if it contains date of birth)
f) Election ID Card

2. Some representations have been received in the MOD regarding the hardship being caused to old family pensioners in getting the additional pension on account of incorrect recording of the date of birth/age in the PPO. They have been requesting for allowing the change of date of birth in the PPO on the basis of the documents prescribed in Para 1 above. The matter has been examined in the Ministry and (after issue of Deptt. Of P & PW OM No. 1/23/2012 P&PW (E) dated 13.09.2012) following decisions have been taken :-

(i) Since the date of birth/age of the armed forces personnel is recorded in the PPO on the basis of service records and the date of discharge/retirement/superannuation etc is determined on the basis of this date of birth/age there would be no question of allowing change in the date of birth/age of the retired/deceased pensioner in the PPO. The matter has been examined further. Considering the difficulty in producing any of the above mentioned documents as proof of age by the old pensioners. It has now been decided that the Aadhaar Card issued by UIDAI may also be accepted as proof of date of birth/age for payment of additional pension/family pension on completion of 80 years of age or above.

(ii) The request for change of date of birth/age of the family pensioner (Parents and Spouse) in the PPO may be submitted by the armed forces pensioner/family pensioner, to the concerned Record Office in case of JCO/Ors and, service HQrs in case of Commissioned Officers along with at least one of the documents mentioned in Para I above/Aadhaar Card and declaration on a non-judicial stamp paper regarding the correct date of birth of the family pensioner. If the Head of the Department/Record Office is satisfied then the change in the date of birth of the family pensioner may be allowed provided a bona-fide mistake has been made in recording the date of birth in the PPO. As the entry in the PPO needs to be rectified, it would be carried out by PSA by issuing the Corr PPO on the advice of OIC Records/Head of Office.

(iii) No other document except as indicated in Para 1 above and Aadhaar Card issued by UIDAI will be accepted for change in date of birth/age of the family pensioner in the PPO.

3. In order to avoid any possibility of recording an incorrect date of birth in the PPO, in future the Armed Forces Personnel would be required to submit one of the documents indicated / in Para 1 above or Aadhaar Card issued by UIDAI as proof of date of birth of spouse or parents along with the details of family as indicated in service records of service officer / personnel. In the case of children, certificate of birth from the Municipal authorities or from the local Panchayat or from the head of a recognized school if he/she is studying in such a school or from a Board of Education may be accepted as proof of age.

4. This issues with the concurrence of Ministry of Defence (Finance) vide their ID No. 31(7)/09/FIN/PEN dated 21/11/2014.

Yours faithfully,

(Prem Prakash)
Under Secretary to the Government of India