How much family pension will you get — the full calculation at 50% and 30%

The monthly pension a family receives after a soldier or ex-serviceman dies is called family pension. How much it comes to depends on three things — the last basic pay, the circumstances of death, and whether death occurred during service or after retirement.

The calculator below works this out under defence pension rules — not the CCS rules meant for civilian employees. That is why it adds Military Service Pay (MSP), which counts towards a soldier's pension and which many online calculators simply leave out. And it does not ask you which pension you want — based on the circumstances, it tells you which one applies.

Which family pension applies to you

This is the part nobody explains to families. Family pension is not one thing — there are three kinds, and the difference in rates is large:

Which category is sanctioned is decided by the Record Office's verification and the competent authority — not by the family's choice. The full detail is on a separate page: Types of family pension.

How it is calculated — the full method

The base of the calculation is reckonable emoluments — that is:

Last Basic Pay + Military Service Pay (MSP)

MSP has been part of every soldier's pay since the 7th Pay Commission — ₹5,200 a month for JCOs/OR and ₹15,500 for commissioned officers — and it counts towards pension. A calculator built on civilian CCS rules never asks for MSP, so its answer comes out low every single time. That difference is why this page exists.

Then the rate applies by circumstance:

• Normal rate — 30% of emoluments, but never below ₹9,000 a month.
• Enhanced rate — 50% of emoluments. On death during service, for 10 years from the date of death. On death after retirement, for 7 years or until the deceased would have turned 67, whichever is earlier — and in that case the enhanced rate cannot exceed the deceased's own sanctioned pension. When the period ends, the normal rate (30%) begins.
• Special Family Pension — 60% of emoluments, where death is held attributable to service — with its own minimum of ₹18,000 a month.
• Liberalised Family Pension — equal to emoluments (100%), for battle casualties.

Whatever the rate, Dearness Relief (DR) is added on top — currently 60%, effective 1 January 2026. Fractions of a rupee always round up to the next whole rupee.

Example table — by basic pay

The table below is an example (JCO/OR, with MSP ₹5,200 added). Take your own last basic pay from your final pay slip or PPO — even at the same rank, basic pay differs with years of service.

* 30% works out to ₹8,070, but the minimum family pension is ₹9,000 — so ₹9,000.

Three real situations, fully worked out

1 — Death during service, cause unconnected to service

A Havildar, last basic pay ₹29,200. Base = 29,200 + 5,200 = ₹34,400. The wife gets the enhanced rate of ₹17,200 a month for the first 10 years, plus 60% Dearness Relief of ₹10,320 — ₹27,520 in hand. After ten years, the normal rate: ₹10,320 + DR ₹6,192 = ₹16,512 (at whatever DR rate applies then).

2 — Death after retirement, aged 62

Same pay, own pension was ₹15,000. The enhanced rate of 50% works out to ₹17,200, but it cannot exceed the deceased's own pension — so ₹15,000. Duration: until he would have turned 67, i.e. 5 years. Then the normal rate, ₹10,320.

3 — Low pay, the minimum steps in

A Sepoy, last basic pay ₹21,700. Base ₹26,900; 30% gives only ₹8,070 — but family pension never goes below ₹9,000. Pension ₹9,000 + DR ₹5,400 = ₹14,400.

Which papers you will need

Claims now run on SPARSH. Broadly, keep ready:

• The PPO (Pension Payment Order) — first check whether the family pension endorsement is already in it
• Death certificate
• The claimant's Aadhaar and bank account details (or the joint account already recorded in the PPO)
• Service/discharge documents — the discharge book

Which form applies in which situation is decided by the Record Office / SPARSH. Always take forms from the official portal — sparsh.defencepension.gov.in — never from anywhere else.

Where income tax stands

Family pension is counted as "income from other sources", not salary, and carries a limited deduction. One big exception: pension received by the family in cases connected to death in operations can be fully exempt from income tax (Section 10(19)). The full picture, sections and all, has its own page now: Pension and income tax — file with your tax adviser.

Frequently asked questions

How long does family pension continue?

To the spouse for life (while eligibility holds). After that, to eligible children in the order the rules set — with conditions of being unmarried/dependent. The order for each case comes from the PPO and the rules.

Does MSP really count towards pension?

Yes — since the 7th Pay Commission, MSP is part of reckonable emoluments. If a calculator has no MSP field, it was built on civilian rules and will give a defence family a low figure every time.

What is the minimum family pension?

₹9,000 a month, with Dearness Relief on top. However low the calculation comes out, it does not go below this. Special Family Pension carries its own higher minimum of ₹18,000 a month.

What is the current Dearness Relief, and when does it change?

Currently 60% (from 1 January 2026). It is revised twice a year — from January and from July. The moment it changes, this page and rates.json are updated.

What happens to the pension on remarriage?

It depends on the situation — the kind of pension, children, and income conditions all apply. Rather than give you a wrong generalisation, the honest answer is: get this one confirmed in writing from your Record Office.

Will I get exactly what this calculator shows?

This is an estimate built from the rules — not a sanction. The real sanction is your PPO. If your figure differs, tell us — either we correct the page, or we help you understand why it differs.

Related: Types of family pension · Submit your life certificate from home