On this article, Ganesh, a central authorities worker, decodes the unified pension scheme and discusses when it is smart to go for it.
Per the UPS Gazette notification, a person corpus will probably be constructed for every worker, consisting of 20% of Fundamental + DA (10% by worker and 10% by authorities/employer). A separate contribution of 8.5% of Fundamental + DA will probably be made by the employer/authorities to a pooled corpus.
PFRDA will outline a benchmark corpus worth primarily based on the default allocation of the person corpus. Upon superannuation, the benchmark worth from the person corpus will probably be transferred to the pooled corpus. If extra corpus stays within the particular person account, that will probably be returned to the worker. If the corpus is decrease than the benchmark corpus, the worker can contribute the remaining quantity or settle for a decrease pension.
After superannuation, PFRDA pays 50% of the Fundamental+DA (common worth of final 12 months of pay) per 30 days from the pooled corpus till the demise of the worker. The payout from the pooled corpus may also be inflation-indexed, which is integrated as a result of adjustments in DA (Dearness Aid for pensioners). Upon demise of the worker, PFRDA pays 30% of Fundamental+DA to the legally wedded partner. PFRDA may also present a lump sum gratuity on the time of superannuation.
UPS vs OPS
The phrases of pension in UPS are just like OPS (besides the lumpsum at the start, and the decreased pension to household). Nevertheless, staff in UPS are literally taking a ten% pay reduce w.r.t employess underneath OPS. This is because of the truth that the ten% contribution made by the worker is transferred to the Pooled corpus upon superannuation.
For instance, if an worker had been single/divorced/widow/widower on the time of retirement, and so they die earlier than they recoup the complete particular person corpus by pension, the remaining steadiness within the pooled corpus will probably be used to pay the opposite pensioners.
UPS vs NPS
Within the NPS, the present contribution to the person corpus is 24% of Fundamental+DA for Central authorities staff (10% from worker + 14% from authorities). With respect to staff underneath OPS, the federal government pays a further 14% as wage, underneath the situation that this cash will probably be accessible to you solely after reaching the age of 60 (with an acceptable stage of compounding). Upon superannuation, the worker can withdraw 60% of the Particular person corpus tax-free and must make investments the remaining 40% in an annuity plan. There isn’t any assured pension after superannuation as in UPS (or OPS).
One of many questions in regards to the NPS is: will the ultimate corpus be sufficient for sustenance after retirement? Whereas it is a legitimate query, the UPS doesn’t reply this query both! The UPS solely provides a set quantity each month; if one’s bills are increased than 50% of Fundamental+DA at retirement, they must pull in cash from their different investments (for which retirement planning is a vital prerequisite). Subsequently, selecting to maneuver to UPS or staying in NPS is NOT a retirement query! the The related query is: Is the proposed 10%(+14%) pay reduce well worth the returns after superannuation?
One strategy to reply this query is to ask how lengthy a corpus “X” can present inflation-indexed funds of fifty% Fundamental+DA per 30 days? Let’s think about the instance given within the Gazette notification: a person having a Fundamental Pay of Rs. 45,000/- and an Particular person Corpus of Rs. 50,00,000/- retires on March 31, 2025, and opts for the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS). The present DA allowance is 53%. To find out how lengthy the corpus of Rs. 50 Lakhs will present inflation-indexed funds, we’ll use the next “algorithm”:
1. Upon superannuation, the annual cost for the primary yr of retirement is withdrawn from the Particular person corpus.
2. The remaining corpus is invested in a risk-free/secure account that grows untouched till the following yr. We are going to assume this to be 8% – roughly what is accessible for Senior residents now by mounted deposits and submit workplace saving schemes.
3. Inflation-indexing is integrated within the subsequent annual payout (on the common fee of 5% – see Is the Unified Pension Scheme sustainable?), and Steps 1 and a couple of are repeated till the corpus turns into unfavorable.
The desk under exhibits the main points of this calculation:


As we are able to see, the corpus of Rs. 50 Lakhs will give this particular person an inflation-indexed pension for 17 years. If we assume that the present age of the person is 60, then the corpus will run out by the point they attain age 78. Subsequently, in all chance, the built-up corpus will most likely not final for the lifetime of the person and/or partner. Because of this, the person will profit by enrolling within the UPS.
Utilizing the above calculation as an estimate, how a lot corpus do we have to accumulate if we wish it to final for a minimum of 40 years after retirement? To find out this worth for any particular person (totally different wage and corpus), we’ll normalize the Particular person corpus as a a number of of the final drawn Fundamental+DA pay. For instance, within the above case
M = 5000000/(45000*1.53) = 72.6
The worth M determines how lengthy the corpus will give 50% of the final Fundamental+DA pay with none inflation-indexation to a person. Within the above situation, the corpus will give Rs. (45000*1.53*0.5) for 145 months, or 12 years and 1 month from the date of superannuation. The determine under exhibits the variety of years the corpus will final for M, various from 60 to 300.


As we are able to see from this determine, if the person corpus is 105 instances the final drawn paycheck (Fundamental + DA), then the corpus will final for 40 years. Be aware that the calculation is stopped when the corpus lasts for 40 years, as we predict it is a ok estimate. If one accumulates a corpus past this worth, then the NPS will match, or probably, be higher than the UPS.
In doing this calculation, we now have assumed that the online distinction between the expansion of the corpus and the inflation adjustment is 3%. If the distinction between these two values is 1%, the variety of years the person corpus will final is proven within the determine under.
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The corpus required now must be roughly 20% bigger than the sooner estimated corpus (the multiplier turns into 125 as an alternative of 105). Whereas the precise worth of the required corpus is tough to find out, we now have carried out this calculation with very conservative estimates primarily based on accessible knowledge. Subsequently, we are able to conclude that if one accumulates a corpus which is a minimum of 100 instances the final drawn wage (Fundamental+DA), then the NPS will roughly be equally viable as an possibility when in comparison with UPS.
We now have an estimate of the required corpus. Is it attainable to construct such a corpus throughout one’s employment? This query has already been answered in an earlier submit
Revised UPS vs NPS Calculator after Jan 2025 Gazette Notification
The calculation stays roughly the identical. We are going to present an estimate of the corpus assuming the next parameters
1. Yearly Base Wage Increment : 3%
2. Annual Dearness Inflation: 5%
3. XIRR of NPS corpus: 8%
4. Years of Employment: 25 years
The corpus will probably be 98 instances the final drawn pay for the above-chosen parameters for any beginning base wage. Assuming an worker works for 30 years (as an alternative of 25), the corpus will probably be 130 instances the final drawn pay. As talked about earlier, we now have chosen a conservative estimate for the wage increment and the corpus’s development fee. Subsequently, we are able to conclude that the corpus built-in NPS ought to be capable of present the identical advantages because the UPS. If one carries out correct monetary planning and builds a great earnings stream after retirement, staying in NPS is likely to be extra prudent in controlling the person corpus.
Some remarks concerning the above evaluation:
1. The UPS can be market-linked, so we now have assumed that there is no such thing as a distinction within the NPS and UPS corpus (apart from the extra 4% contribution for Central authorities staff). If the market-returns are very poor, then the federal government must enhance their contributions to UPS (at present outlined as 18.5%). If this contribution has to extend yearly, then the UPS turns into an OPS-lite scheme, and the OPS scheme has already been proven to be financially unviable. If one retires underneath such situations, they may also have to fret in regards to the then-government not honouring their pension funds. See: UPS vs NPS: Which ought to I select for retirement?
2. Within the OPS, the pension funds are additionally revised when a brand new pay fee is carried out. The gazette notification doesn’t make clear whether or not that is relevant for UPS. The calculations must be modified if that is certainly the case. Additional, the nuance of 40% of the NPS corpus being linked to an annuity plan hasn’t been used within the comparability.
3. The NPS was launched in 2004, and it has been solely 15 years because the schemes had been arrange. See: After 13 years of investing within the NPS, my return is 8.78%. Subsequently, there’s not sufficient knowledge to foretell the efficiency of NPS as of as we speak. As a corollary, one can even say that the introduction of the UPS might be not a referendum on the NPS (in actual fact, anyone who joined in NPS and retires earlier than 2029 won’t have the minimal 25 years reuired for full payout in UPS). In different phrases, we don’t suppose that UPS has been launched as a result of NPS is a foul scheme for retirement.
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