New Delhi: Retired central government employees who were part of the NPS and retired on or before March 31, 2025, now have a reason to cheer. Those with at least 10 years of qualifying service can avail additional benefits under the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS), apart from what they already receive under NPS. Even their legally wedded spouses will be eligible for this added support.

Retirees under the NPS who stepped down on or before March 31, 2025, can now choose between two added benefits. They can either get a one-time payment equal to one-tenth of their last Basic Pay plus DA for every completed six months of service or receive a monthly top-up if their NPS pension is lower than what they would get under the UPS along with Dearness Relief.

Eligible retirees will also receive arrears with simple interest, calculated at the applicable Public Provident Fund (PPF) rates. According to the ministry, both subscribers and their spouses can claim these benefits either by visiting their Drawing and Disbursing Officer (DDO) and submitting the required form in person, or by applying online through the official website: http://www.npscra.nsdl.co.in/ups.php.

The deadline to claim these benefits is June 30. The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) has officially rolled out the Unified Pension Scheme under the NPS Regulations 2025, which came into effect on April 1, 2025.

These new regulations allow three categories of central government employees to enroll under the Unified Pension Scheme. The first category includes those already working under the NPS as of April 1, 2025. The second covers new central government recruits who join on or after this date.

The third category includes central government employees who were under the NPS and retired—either normally, voluntarily, or under Rule 56(j)—on or before March 31, 2025. They are eligible to opt for the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS). In case the retiree passed away before choosing the UPS, their legally wedded spouse can still claim the benefits.