7th Pay Commission Latest Children Education Allowance News: Ahead of the expected Dearness Allowance hike, the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has relaxed the Children Education Allowance (CEA) claim rule for Central Government Employees. This has been done in view of the difficulties faced by Central Government Employees due to the Covid lockdowns during 2020-21 academic year.
Central Government Employees get Rs 2250 per month in lieu of CEA as per the recommendation of the 7th Pay Commission. Due to the prevailing Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns, Central Government Employees were facing difficulty in claiming CEA as result/report cards of their children were not sent by schools through SMS/email, and even the fee was being deposited online.
This Department has been receiving several references/ queries from Central Government employees stating that in the prevailing pandemic situation, result/report cards were not sent to the parents by the School through SM S / email, and fee is also being deposited online, and the parents are having difficulty in claiming CEA,” the DoPT said in an Office Memorandum dated 1st July 2021.
“The matter has been considered and it has been decided that … the CEA claims may also be considered through a self-certification made from the concerned employees or through printout of e-mail/SMS of result/report card/fee payment, in addition to the prescribed modes of claims only for the academic years ending March, 2020 and March, 2021,” it added.
The DoPT also said that CEA claim cases already settled in favour of the Central Government servants need not be reopened.
The Central Government pays CEA employees to enable them to take care of the schooling and hostel requirements of their children
What 7th Pay Commission recommended?
The Seventh Pay Commission had recommended that CEA should be paid to the employees at the rate of Rs 2250 per month. The recommended rate for hostel subsidy per month was Rs 6750. The 7th Pay Commission had also recommended that whenever DA increases by 50 per cent, CEA and Hostel Subsidy should increase by 25 per cent.
Dearness Allowance hike has been frozen for the Central Government Employees since last year. The Government is expected to implement revised DA rates soon.
