Govt scraps requirement of min 7-year continuous service for EOFP

In a major announcement giving huge benefit to Defence Forces personnel, Government scrapped the requirement of Minimum Qualifying Service for Enhanced Ordinary Family Pension (EOFP) with effect from 1st October 2019. An EOFP is 50 per cent of personnel's last emoluments and is payable for 10 years from the date of the death of the personnel in service.

New Delhi: The Defence Ministry has scrapped the requirement of minimum continuous service of seven years for grant of Enhanced Ordinary Family Pension (EOFP) to the next of kin of deceased defence personnel.

An EOFP is 50 per cent of personnel's last emoluments and is payable for 10 years from the date of the death of the personnel in service, the ministry said in the statement.

"The requirement of continuous qualifying service of 7 years (to get EOFP) is done away with effect from October 1, 2019," it said.

If the service personnel dies after his or her release, retirement, discharge or invalidment, the EOFP is given for seven years from the date of death or up to the time when the personnel would have reached 67 years of age, whichever is earlier, the ministry noted.

Further, the family of armed forces personnel who died within 10 years before October 1, 2019, without completing continuous service of seven years, would be getting the EOFP, it noted.

As per the rules till date, "there is a requirement of continuous qualifying service of 7 years for grant of the EOFP to the next of kin of defence forces personnel", it stated.

While the EOFP is 50 per cent of last emoluments of the personnel, the ordinary family pension (OFP) is 30 per cent of last emoluments of the personnel.

(PTI Report)