Revised Format-F for Pensioners—Key Changes Every Central Government Employee Should Know

Important Update: Central Government employees will benefit from the new modifications to Format-F for pension payment information updates, as announced by the Central Pension Accounting Office (CPAO). The revised Format-F aims to ensure seamless and error-free updates to pensioners' data, reducing delays and enhancing transparency for all stakeholders involved.

What Is Format-F?

Format-F is a standardized form used by banks' Central Pension Processing Centres (CPPCs) to notify the CPAO about any changes in a pensioner's status. Common use cases include:

• Update on the death of a pensioner
• Submission of annual life certificates
• Transfer of pension accounts between banks
• Updates related to commutation, medical allowance (FMA), pay commission revisions, and contact details

Why Was the Format Revised?

The CPAO observed that banks frequently failed to submit the earlier Format-F, leading to gaps in crucial information flow between banks, CPAO, administrative ministries, and pensioners. To rectify this, the revised Format-F:

• Adds fields for commencement and discontinuation of FMA
• Removes outdated fields like cheque number and scroll details
• Provides clear, dedicated columns for different types of information, making it easier for banks to submit accurate details

The Updated Workflow

1. Event Occurrence: Banks identify relevant pensioner events (death, bank transfer, FMA, etc.).

2. Data Collection: Both general information (like PPO Number and account details) and event-specific data are gathered.

3. Validation and Upload: The data is validated through the system for mandatory fields and correct formats, then securely transmitted to the CPAO in a monthly file.

4. Processing and Action: CPAO processes the data to update pension records and take the necessary actions (e.g., issuing letters for benefit amendments).

Digital Transformation and Compliance

The process is now digitized, requiring banks to upload the data in a specified JSON format. Automated validation reduces errors, speeds up workflow, and strengthens audit trails for future reference. Strict compliance is mandated, and bank CPPCs must update and submit Format-F every month.

This revised system is designed to ensure government employees and pensioners experience minimal disruption in their pension disbursal while enhancing the security and traceability of all changes to pension records.

📄 Download Official CPAO Order

Get the complete official order about Modified Format-F from CPAO

📥 Download Format-F Office Order (PDF)

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