Commutation of pension calculator
Work out your commuted pension lump sum, the reduced pension for 15 years, and the dearness relief on the full pension. Uses the CCS commutation table.
This calculator works out the commutation of a central government pension: the tax-free lump sum you receive for commuting up to 40% of your pension, the reduced pension you draw for the next 15 years, the dearness relief that continues on the full pension, and the age at which the full pension is restored. It uses the commutation table in the CCS (Commutation of Pension) Rules, 1981. Enter your figures below; the result updates as you type. The method, the formula, and a worked example follow, so you can check the figure by hand.
Calculator
Your commutation at a glance
What the calculator computes
The calculator takes four inputs, your monthly basic pension, the percentage you want to commute, your age at retirement, and the current dearness relief, and returns the full picture of a commutation.
The first output is the commutation lump sum, the one-time amount you receive for commuting part of your pension. The second is the reduced monthly basic pension, which is your pension less the commuted portion, drawn for the 15 years of the commutation. The third is the dearness relief on the full pension, which is important because dearness relief is computed on the full, un-commuted pension, so it does not fall when you commute. The fourth is the monthly pension during commutation, the reduced basic pension plus the dearness relief, which is what actually reaches your bank each month. Finally, it shows the age at which the full pension is restored, 15 years after retirement.
The formula
The lump sum is worked out from three things: the commuted portion of your monthly pension, an age-based commutation factor, and the number 12.
The formula is:
Lump sum = commuted monthly pension x commutation factor x 12
The commuted monthly pension is the percentage you commute, up to 40%, of your basic pension. The commutation factor comes from the table in the CCS (Commutation of Pension) Rules, 1981, and it depends on your age next birthday. The number 12 converts the annual value the factor represents into the lump sum. The factor is higher for a younger person, because the reduction runs for more of their expected life, and lower for an older person.
The commutation factor and age next birthday
The single point that most often causes confusion is the age used. The factor is chosen by age next birthday as on the date the commutation takes effect, which is the date after retirement. So a person who retires at the superannuation age of 60 has an age next birthday of 61, and uses the factor for 61, which is 8.194, not the factor for 60. This is why 8.194 is the standard commutation factor quoted for a superannuation at 60. The calculator does this automatically: you enter your age at retirement, and it uses the factor for the next birthday.
The table applies to every commutation becoming absolute on or after 2 September 2008, the date of Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare Office Memorandum No. 38/37/08-P&PW(A) that notified it, and it is built on the LIC (1994-96) Ultimate mortality table at 8% interest. It is unchanged under the 7th CPC. Pensioners’ federations have sought a fresh table and a cut in the restoration period from 15 years to 12, but neither has been notified, so the factors above are current. The commutation factor table article carries every value from age 20 to 81 and what the 2008 revision changed against the table effective 1 March 1971.
A worked example
Take a pensioner retiring at 60 on a basic pension of Rs. 50,000 a month, commuting the maximum 40%, with dearness relief at 60%.
The commuted portion is 40% of Rs. 50,000, which is Rs. 20,000 a month. The commutation factor for age next birthday 61 is 8.194. The lump sum is Rs. 20,000 times 8.194 times 12, which is Rs. 19,66,560, about Rs. 19.67 lakh, paid once and tax-free. The basic pension reduces to Rs. 30,000 a month for 15 years. Dearness relief at 60% is computed on the full Rs. 50,000, which is Rs. 30,000, so the pensioner draws Rs. 30,000 plus Rs. 30,000, that is Rs. 60,000 a month, during the commutation, alongside the Rs. 19.67 lakh received up front. After 15 years, at age 75, the full Rs. 50,000 basic pension is restored, and the pension returns to Rs. 50,000 plus dearness relief. This is the calculation the tool performs, and it is why most pensioners commute the maximum.
How to use the result
The lump sum is useful for a large expense or an investment at the point of retirement, and because it is restored after 15 years and dearness relief continues on the full pension, commuting the maximum is advantageous for most pensioners. The reduced pension is the cost, spread over 15 years, and the calculator lets you weigh the lump sum against that reduction for your own figures. For the rules behind the calculation, see the commutation of pension article, and for the dearness relief that continues on the full pension, the dearness relief article.
The calculator is a guide based on the standard commutation table and rules; your actual commutation is fixed by the sanctioning authority on your pension papers. For the wider retirement framework, see the central government pension article, and to work out a serving employee’s pay, the 7th CPC salary calculator.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How is the commutation lump sum calculated?
What commutation factor does the calculator use?
Does the reduced pension affect my dearness relief?
How much of my pension can I commute?
Is the commuted lump sum taxable?
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- Gratuity for central government employees
- Income tax for government employees
- 7th CPC salary calculator
- Central government employees in India
References
- CCS (Commutation of Pension) Rules, 1981, and the commutation table effective 1 January 2006 (DoPPW O.M. No. 38/37/08-P&PW(A) dated 2 September 2008).
- Income-tax Act, 1961, Section 10(10A), on the exemption of the commuted pension.