Pension Stuck After Retirement? Federation Writes to Nirmala Sitharaman Over Payment Delay

A large number of retired Delhi government employees, including former teachers, are reportedly still waiting for pension benefits under the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS), despite submitting their applications within the specified deadline.

UPS Pension Not Paid Yet? Federation Writes to Nirmala Sitharaman

The All India NPS Employees Federation (AINPSEF) has raised the issue with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, seeking urgent action to clear pending pension cases. The federation said the delay is creating financial difficulties for retirees who are dependent on their pension for regular household expenses.

Delhi Government Employees Face Delay in UPS Pension Payments

The UPS came into effect on April 1, 2025, as an option for eligible employees covered under the National Pension System (NPS). The deadline for submitting the UPS option was September 30, 2025.

According to AINPSEF, several employees working under the Government of NCT of Delhi, including those associated with the Directorate of Education, completed the required formalities before the deadline. Some of these employees had already retired, while others were approaching retirement.

However, the federation claims that pension payments for a number of such retirees have still not been started.

The pension delay has reportedly affected retired teachers as well as employees from other Delhi government departments. AINPSEF has highlighted cases where employees completed the UPS-related paperwork but have not yet received their retirement benefits.

UPS Portal Access Reportedly Creating More Problems

The federation has also raised concerns about access to the UPS system for Delhi government employees and pensioners. According to AINPSEF, the required online UPS facility is currently not available through the central record-keeping agency portals for these employees and pensioners.

This has reportedly made it difficult for affected retirees to access information about their accumulated retirement corpus and calculate their expected pension. For retirees already awaiting payments, the lack of access to such information adds to uncertainty over their retirement finances.

AINPSEF Seeks Urgent Action From Finance Ministry

In its August 18, 2026 letter, AINPSEF asked the Finance Minister to intervene and ensure that pending UPS cases are processed without further delay. The federation has called for all eligible applications submitted within the prescribed period to be reviewed and pension authorisations issued on priority. It has also sought payment of pending pension dues and applicable arrears to eligible retirees.

AINPSEF has suggested that an interim pension arrangement could also be considered in cases where the final UPS processing takes longer, subject to the applicable rules.

Centre, Delhi Government Asked to Resolve Pending UPS Cases

The federation has also sought coordination between the Centre and the Delhi government to address administrative issues affecting pension processing. For retired employees, the delay has direct financial consequences as pension is an important source of regular income after retirement. AINPSEF has therefore urged the authorities to establish a time-bound mechanism to dispose of pending applications.

The issue now depends on the authorities' response and the speed at which pending UPS options, pension calculations and payment approvals are processed for eligible Delhi government retirees.

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