Q.886 Will window lose Railway pension on acquiring foreign citizenship

Hello I am a UK citizen wanting some urgent advice on behalf of a friend. She is currently getting a Widows Pension from the Indian Railways. She want to consider acquiring European Nationality and later take out an NRI or OCI so she can continue to live most of her time in India. Will taking up new nationality and obtaining NRI mean she would have to GIVE up her Indian Railways Widows Pension? Can you please advise who I need to contact to get a definitive answer? Can you please send me a link of any Railways rules where taking new nationality will prohibit continuing to claim a widows pension? Thank you. Kindest regards, Viona Answer: Pension to a widow comes under category 1 of Indian Family Pension and is available for lifetime or until remarriage. [In case of minor children in such a situation, pension benefit is available until age 25 or when they start earning, whichever is earlier] Becoming a non-resident (NRI) or acquiring foreign citizenship does not generally effect a person’s Indian pension entitlement. A window receiving pension from Indian Railways would however lose her pension if she remarries. Indian pensioners when they become non-resident are required to notify their pension paying bank of their NRI status and get their pension credited to a NRO bank account instead of a resident bank account. Additionally, NRI pensioners are required to furnish a life certificate issued by an authorized official of the Indian consulate in their area of residence. Life certificate is required once a year in November. Getting a life certificate from Indian consulate may sound complicated but it is a simple task that thousands of Indian pensioners living across the world get done routinely at Indian consulates. Regarding your questions: • Can you please advise who I need to contact to get a definitive answer? / Contact the pension paying authority, which would in this case be the Indian Railways. • Can you please send me a link of any Railways rules where taking new nationality will prohibit continuing to claim a widows pension? / Since I am not aware there is such a rule, I am unable to provide a link! But am providing an excerpt from http://www.indianrailways.gov.in
Disclaimer: Information provided is for general knowledge only and should not be deemed to be professional advice. For professional advice kindly consult a professional accountant, immigration advisor or the Indian consulate. Rules and regulations do change from time to time. Please note that in case of any variation between what has been stated on this website and the relevant Act, Rules, Regulations, Policy Statements etc. the latter shall prevail. © Copyright 2006 Nriinformation.com
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previous previous 14.4 Payment of pension to N.R.I. Railway Pensioners :- (i) The authorised Bank may credit the pension amount of a non-resident to a Non-Resident (Ordinary Account opened/maintained as per provisions of the Exchange Control). The amount of pension of a Railway pensioner who has become non-resident may be credited to the said account after ensuring the personel identification and other requirements as stipulated under the Scheme (Para 8.3). (ii) In case of the existing accounts, the pensioner should intimate the fact that he has become non-resident Indian to the pension paying Branch in India and on receipt of the same the Paying Branch in India should convert the account of the pensioner to Non-resident Ordinary (NRO) Account. (iii) The pensioner has to furnish the life certificate issued by an authorised official of the Embassy7/High Commission of India of Consul of Indian Consulates or a Notary Public or an Officer of an Indian Public Sector Bank attached to its branch in the country where the pensioner is residing, once in a year in November. (iv) The pensioner has to furnish other certificates viz. Non-employment/reemployment certificate. Non-marriage/non-re-marriage certificate as prescribed in the pension scheme. (v) The Paying Branches will credit the amount of pension due every month to the Non-Resident Ordinary account of the Pensioner. (vi) Withdrawals from the Non-Resident Ordinary Accounts will be governed by the instructions contained in the Exchange Control Manual and the Paying Branch should allow the withdrawals accordingly. (vii) Pension credited to the pensioner’s Non-Resident. Ordinary Accounts will not be allowed to the repatriated abroad. (viii) The Paying Branch should return PPOs of such Non-Resident Indian Railway pensioners who are drawing pension from them and are unable to furnish the prescribed life certificate to the designated FA&CAO. (ix) The Change in the citizenship by any non-resident Indian Pensioner will not affect his entitlement to the pension.
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Disclaimer: Information provided is for general knowledge only and should not be deemed to be professional advice. For professional advice kindly consult a professional accountant, immigration advisor or the Indian consulate. Rules and regulations do change from time to time. Please note that in case of any variation between what has been stated on this website and the relevant Act, Rules, Regulations, Policy Statements etc. the latter shall prevail. © Copyright 2006 Nriinformation.com
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Q.886 Will window lose Railway

pension on acquiring foreign

citizenship

Hello I am a UK citizen wanting some urgent advice on behalf of a friend. She is currently getting a Widows Pension from the Indian Railways. She want to consider acquiring European Nationality and later take out an NRI or OCI so she can continue to live most of her time in India. Will taking up new nationality and obtaining NRI mean she would have to GIVE up her Indian Railways Widows Pension? Can you please advise who I need to contact to get a definitive answer? Can you please send me a link of any Railways rules where taking new nationality will prohibit continuing to claim a widows pension? Thank you. Kindest regards, Viona Answer: Pension to a widow comes under category 1 of Indian Family Pension and is available for lifetime or until remarriage. [In case of minor children in such a situation, pension benefit is available until age 25 or when they start earning, whichever is earlier] Becoming a non-resident (NRI) or acquiring foreign citizenship does not generally effect a person’s Indian pension entitlement. A window receiving pension from Indian Railways would however lose her pension if she remarries. Indian pensioners when they become non-resident are required to notify their pension paying bank of their NRI status and get their pension credited to a NRO bank account instead of a resident bank account. Additionally, NRI pensioners are required to furnish a life certificate issued by an authorized official of the Indian consulate in their area of residence. Life certificate is required once a year in November. Getting a life certificate from Indian consulate may sound complicated but it is a simple task that thousands of Indian pensioners living across the world get done routinely at Indian consulates. Regarding your questions: • Can you please advise who I need to contact to get a definitive answer? / Contact the pension paying authority, which would in this case be the Indian Railways. • Can you please send me a link of any Railways rules where taking new nationality will prohibit continuing to claim a widows pension? / Since I am not aware there is such a rule, I am unable to provide a link! But am providing an excerpt from http://www.indianrailways.gov.in
14.4 Payment of pension to N.R.I. Railway Pensioners :- (i) The authorised Bank may credit the pension amount of a non-resident to a Non-Resident (Ordinary Account opened/maintained as per provisions of the Exchange Control). The amount of pension of a Railway pensioner who has become non-resident may be credited to the said account after ensuring the personel identification and other requirements as stipulated under the Scheme (Para 8.3). (ii) In case of the existing accounts, the pensioner should intimate the fact that he has become non-resident Indian to the pension paying Branch in India and on receipt of the same the Paying Branch in India should convert the account of the pensioner to Non-resident Ordinary (NRO) Account. (iii) The pensioner has to furnish the life certificate issued by an authorised official of the Embassy7/High Commission of India of Consul of Indian Consulates or a Notary Public or an Officer of an Indian Public Sector Bank attached to its branch in the country where the pensioner is residing, once in a year in November. (iv) The pensioner has to furnish other certificates viz. Non- employment/reemployment certificate. Non-marriage/non-re-marriage certificate as prescribed in the pension scheme. (v) The Paying Branches will credit the amount of pension due every month to the Non-Resident Ordinary account of the Pensioner. (vi) Withdrawals from the Non-Resident Ordinary Accounts will be governed by the instructions contained in the Exchange Control Manual and the Paying Branch should allow the withdrawals accordingly. (vii) Pension credited to the pensioner’s Non-Resident. Ordinary Accounts will not be allowed to the repatriated abroad. (viii) The Paying Branch should return PPOs of such Non-Resident Indian Railway pensioners who are drawing pension from them and are unable to furnish the prescribed life certificate to the designated FA&CAO. (ix) The Change in the citizenship by any non-resident Indian Pensioner will not affect his entitlement to the pension.
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