Government Issues Revised SOP for Migration of NPS Pensioners to Old Pension Scheme (OPS)
Government Issues Revised SOP for Migration of NPS Pensioners to Old Pension Scheme
The Central Pension Accounting Office (CPAO), under the Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance, Government of India, has issued a revised Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the migration of National Pension System (NPS) pensioners to the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) in cases involving the death or disability of government servants.
Download CPAO Issues Revised Guidelines for Migration of NPS Pensioners to OPS in PDF
The Office Memorandum, dated 19 October 2026, has been issued to address challenges encountered during the migration process and to facilitate the smooth transition of eligible legacy NPS-AR pension cases to the Old Pension Scheme. The revised SOP supersedes the earlier procedure issued on 17 September 2025.
Streamlined Procedure for Pension Migration
Under the revised procedure, the CPAO will initiate the process by forwarding scanned copies of the Disburser Portion of the old Pension Payment Order (PPPO) to the concerned Pay and Accounts Office (PAO). The CPAO will also provide a utility to facilitate the generation of new PPO numbers against existing PPPOs.
The PAO will obtain the Service Book and other relevant documents from the concerned Head of Office (HoO). Based on these records, the PAO will prepare a new PPO using the utility provided by the CPAO, ensuring that the new PPO contains the appropriate PPO and PRAN numbers.
The PAO will verify the details against available records and forward the new PPO, along with the necessary documents, to the CPAO for further processing. The CPAO will examine the records and coordinate with the concerned Central Pension Processing Centre (CPPC) and authorised bank to ensure the correct processing of pension or family pension cases.
Responsibilities of Stakeholders
The revised SOP clearly defines the responsibilities of the CPAO, PAOs, Heads of Offices, banks and pensioners.
- Central Pension Accounting Office (CPAO): To coordinate the migration process, verify pension records, process the new PPOs, and ensure the proper transfer and regularisation of pension payments.
- Pay and Accounts Offices (PAOs): To collect the necessary service records, prepare new PPOs, verify pension details and ensure compliance with the prescribed procedure.
- Heads of Offices (HoOs): To forward Service Books and other relevant documents required for issuing new PPOs and completing the migration process.
- Authorised Banks and CPPCs: To process pension payments, update pension records and ensure continuity of pension disbursement.
- Pensioners: To return the old PPO copy to the bank after receiving the new PPO and submit the Life Certificate every November in accordance with the applicable guidelines.
Ensuring Continuity of Pension Payments
The revised procedure emphasises the importance of avoiding disruption in pension and family pension payments during the migration process. The CPAO will coordinate with the concerned authorities to ensure that pension payments are processed appropriately and that the necessary records are updated.
The procedure also provides for the handling of old PPO documents, pension booklets and related records to ensure proper documentation and accountability throughout the migration process.
Strengthening Pension Administration
The revised SOP represents an important administrative measure to simplify pension migration, improve coordination among stakeholders and ensure timely settlement of eligible pension cases arising from the death or disability of government servants.
All concerned authorities have been directed to take the necessary steps to implement the revised procedure and bring its provisions to the attention of officers and officials under their administrative control for strict and time-bound compliance.
The initiative aims to make the migration process more systematic, transparent and efficient while safeguarding the interests of eligible government employees and their families.
Source: Office Memorandum issued by the Central Pension Accounting Office, Ministry of Finance, dated 19 October 2026.