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Army looking to tweak disability pension criteria
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- Streamlining system for grant of disability pension: The Army is mulling over several options to streamline the existing system for grant of disability pension and the manner of calculation.
- Points on discussion: The Army has put forward several points for discussion. These include-(1) Disability pension to be calculated on the pension element and not on the last pay drawn which will reduce the disability pension by 50% and percentage of disability to be increased from 20% to 30% to be eligible for disability pension.(2) No income tax benefit be given on service pension to disability pensioners and also that there should be no rounding off or broad banding of the disability element.
- Misuse:(1) Army said that it will make sure this facility is not misused. It said that it always wanted that those who are genuinely disabled should be getting the benefit and not everybody who feels disabled.(2) Defence sources said there has been a huge increase in disability claims, year on year. There is a need to analyse the reasons for rise in disabilities, particularly those suffered in non-combat situations.
- Disability claim:(1) Disability is granted for physical injuries and also claimed in other than physical injuries like hypertension, low backache, hearing loss, obesity-linked diseases among others.(2) For those getting disability pension, not only the disability component but the entire pension is tax-free(3) The broad banding of disability was introduced only in the 6th Pay Commission (PC) for war injured and in the 7th PC for others.(4) The 7th PC also permitted broad banding of disability for those seeking early retirement (PMR).
Source
The Hindu