₹3,000 pension won't block parents' medical reimbursement for Haryana govt employees, High Court rules

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has ruled that Haryana government employees cannot be denied medical reimbursement for dependent parents solely because they receive a ₹3,000 monthly old-age pension, directing authorities to release admissible claims within two months.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has ruled that Haryana government employees cannot be denied medical reimbursement for their dependent elderly parents solely because they receive a monthly old-age pension of ₹3,000. The court set aside rejection orders in 10 connected petitions and directed the authorities to process and release admissible claims within two months of receiving a certified copy of the order.

The ruling is significant for government employees whose parents require hospitalisation or treatment but have modest pension income. It reinforces the principle that the receipt of a small social-security benefit does not automatically establish that an elderly parent can independently meet medical expenses.

Medical reimbursement cannot be denied on a technicality

The court held that administrative instructions cannot override the statutory rules governing medical reimbursement. The Punjab Medical Attendance Rules, 1940, recognise wholly dependent family members, including parents, but the relevant provisions do not impose a rigid monetary ceiling for determining dependency.

The dispute arose after medical reimbursement claims were rejected on the grounds that the income of the employees' dependent family members exceeded the ceiling prescribed under government instructions.

In one case, a government employee sought reimbursement for the treatment of his 70-year-old mother, who had chronic ailments and underwent inpatient treatment at an empanelled, government-approved hospital. The medical expenses amounted to ₹3.73 lakh.