The Centre has recently made significant revisions to the limits of children’s education allowance and hostel subsidy for government employees. These revisions come in the wake of the enhancement of dearness allowance, effective from January 1, 2024, and are in line with a 2018 directive that stipulates a 25 per cent automatic increase in the limits of children’s education allowance and hostel subsidy whenever the dearness allowance on the revised pay structure rises by 50 per cent.

 

What are the changes?

 

The latest order from the personnel ministry has fixed the reimbursement amount for children’s education allowance at Rs 2,812.5 per month and the hostel subsidy at Rs 8,437.5 per month, irrespective of the actual expenses incurred by the employees.

 

The ministry has also highlighted that divyang children of government employees are eligible for double the normal rate of children’s education allowance, set at Rs 5,625 per month, regardless of actual expenses incurred.

 

Moreover, the special allowance for child care to women with disabilities has been revised to Rs 3,750 per month, providing additional support to women employees facing childcare responsibilities.

 

When will changes come into effect?

 

These revisions are applicable with effect from January 1, 2024.

 

The revisions in children’s education allowance and hostel subsidy are part of a broader initiative by the Centre to enhance various allowances for central government employees. Alongside the revisions in education-related allowances, the Centre has also updated other key allowances such as risk allowance, night duty allowance, overtime allowance, special allowance payable to Parliament assistants, and special allowance for child care for women with disabilities.

 

With inputs from PTI

First Published: Apr 30 2024 | 10:16 AM IST