For a Central Government civil pension paid through an authorized bank, the pensioner’s own pension is payable through the date of death, then stops. An eligible survivor may receive a separate family pension if scheme rules allow it and the entitlement is authorized. Any arrears or payments credited after death must be calculated separately. The process differs for State pensions, EPS-95, NPS and other schemes.
First identify the pension scheme
The rules depend on who administers the pension and what the Pension Payment Order (PPO) says. This article’s detailed steps concern Central Government civil pensions paid through authorized banks; they should not be assumed to apply to State pensions, EPS-95, NPS or employer schemes. The Reserve Bank of India’s April 1, 2025 master circular says government pension, including basic pension and Dearness Relief, is governed by the relevant Central or State government scheme. It consolidates instructions through March 31, 2025 and directs agency banks to follow the applicable government instructions and pension-authority directions.
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Check the pension documents and contact the disbursing bank or authority to establish the scheme, the pension sanctioning authority and the relevant PPO before treating any further deposit as a survivor’s entitlement.
What happens to each payment
| Payment | What happens | What determines the outcome |
|---|---|---|
| The deceased pensioner’s own pension | For the Central Government civil scheme, it is payable for the day of death, regardless of the time of death; it does not continue as the survivor’s pension. | The scheme and date of death. See the CGA-hosted pension scheme booklet. |
| Arrears due to the deceased | Amounts owed for the period before death are calculated separately. A validly nominated person may receive arrears under the applicable nomination rules; if there is no valid nomination, heirs may claim subject to the required authorization and sanction process. | Whether arrears are due, whether there is a valid nomination, and the applicable claim and sanction rules. See the CGA-hosted pension scheme booklet. |
| Family pension | An eligible, authorized family member may receive a separate pension under scheme rules. It is not an automatic continuation or inheritance of the deceased’s pension. | Eligibility and authorization, including what is recorded in the PPO. See CPAO’s family-pension guidance and the RBI pension FAQs. |
| Credits made after death | The bank and authority must establish what was due and whether any credit was an overpayment. A deposit appearing in the account does not by itself establish a family-pension entitlement. | The governing scheme, payment dates and cause of any excess credit. See the CGA-hosted pension scheme booklet and RBI’s master circular. |
How family pension is authorized
For Central Government civil pensions, the Central Pension Accounting Office (CPAO) says a spouse’s family pension is normally sanctioned when the retiring employee’s pension is authorized and recorded in the PPO, to be drawn after the pensioner dies. The PPO authorization matters: having a joint bank account alone does not establish eligibility.
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If a surviving spouse has family-pension authorization in the PPO, the RBI FAQ says the existing joint account may be used; the bank should not insist on opening a new account for this purpose. The family pension remains a distinct entitlement under the scheme, not the deceased’s own pension continuing under a different name.
What the family should do
- Confirm the pension type and authority. Identify the disbursing bank, pension sanctioning authority and the applicable scheme. Check the PPO for a family-pension authorization and any arrears nomination.
- Notify the bank and pension disbursing authority. Provide the death certificate and ask what current scheme-specific forms and documents are required. An older RBI instruction cited by the CGA booklet says to report the death at the earliest and within one month to prevent further credits; the current RBI circular defers to applicable scheme instructions, so confirm the deadline with the bank or authority rather than assuming a universal current deadline.
- Apply for family pension if eligible. Where the Central civil family pension is already shown in the PPO, CPAO says to apply to the pension disbursing authority using Form 14 and a copy of the death certificate. Its FAQ says a surviving spouse with a joint account can use a simple application plus the death certificate to activate family pension. If family-pension authorization is not already in the PPO, CPAO directs the claim to the Head of Office for sanction.
- Request a written payment calculation. Ask the bank to confirm the date through which pension is due, any arrears, and whether credits after death are excess payments. If there is an overpayment, request an explanation of the amount and the basis for recovery.
- Keep a record of the claim. Retain copies of the death certificate, PPO and application, along with bank acknowledgements and the written calculation or recovery explanation.
If pension credits continued after death
For the Central Government civil process, the CGA booklet says that after receiving the death certificate the bank calculates the amount due or overpaid and acts to recover overpayment under the undertaking given when pension began. The treatment depends on the cause of the excess and the governing scheme; ask the bank and pension authority to identify both.
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Under the RBI’s April 1, 2025 master circular, when excess payment results from a bank error, the bank must credit the excess to the Government in a lump sum immediately after detection, independently of recovery from the pensioner. If recovery from the pensioner is at issue, the agency bank should seek directions from the pension sanctioning authority. If the overpayment resulted from a government error, the bank is directed to refer the case to the relevant department. These instructions do not establish that every post-death credit is handled identically.
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Which rules apply to your case?
The Central civil process is not a universal rule for all pensions in India. RBI’s circular assigns government pensions to the relevant Central or State government scheme. For a State pension, EPS-95, NPS or employer pension, contact the scheme’s administering authority and ask for its death-notification, survivor-benefit and arrears procedure. The available official guidance here establishes no single process for those different schemes.
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The RBI circular cited here is dated April 1, 2025 and consolidates instructions through March 31, 2025; its pension FAQs say they were updated April 1, 2025. Confirm current instructions with the relevant authority, particularly for a State or non-government scheme or a disputed post-death withdrawal.
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