Pension curbs put parents of differently-abled children in a fix

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Serving and retired government employees with differently-abled children are reeling from a recent government order that excludes their wards from receiving family pensions.

This July, the Finance Department set an annual family income limit of Rs 60,000 for eligibility, meaning that differently-abled children who depend on their parents will be unable to claim pension benefits after their parents pass away.

The order has intensified parents’ fears about their children’s future. While there are multiple factors to be worried about the future of the differently-abled, financial security is the biggest of all.

“Every parent worries about their child’s well-being to the point of wishing their child would die before them. The family pension was a beacon of hope, ensuring some financial support,” lamented Lethika K, a mother of a differently-abled girl.