7th CPC CEA: Total Claim for Academic Year 2017-18

7th CPC CEA: Total Claim for Academic Year 2017-18

Children Education Allowance: CEA is paid to government employees to take care of schooling and hostel requirements of their children. Before VI CPC recommendations, the scheme was known as Children Education Assistance and provided at the following rates:

Component	Class 1 - X	Class XI-XII	Requirement
Reimbursement of Tuition Fee	40	50
Reimbursement of Tuition Fee for Disabled and mentally retarded children	100	100
Children Education Allowance	100	100	In case the government employee is compelled to send his child to a school away from the Station of his posting
Hostel Subsidy	300	300	In case the employee is obliged to keep his children in a hostel away from the Station of his posting and residence on account of transfer.

The VI CPC rationalized the structure to the following:

Component	Recommended rate	Remarks
Children Education Allowance	Rs.1500 pm	Whenever DA increases by 50%, CEA shall increase by 25%
Hostel Subsidy	Rs.4500 pm	Whenever DA increases by 50%, Hostel Subsidy shall increase by 25%

7th Pay Commission recommended as follows:

Component	Recommended rate (pm)	Remarks
Children Education Allowance	Rs.1500 x 1.5 = 2250	Whenever DA increases by 50%, CEA shall increase by 25%
Hostel Subsidy	Rs.4500 x 1.5 = 6750 (ceiling)	Whenever DA increases by 50%, Hostel Subsidy shall increase by 25%

The allowance will continue to be double for differently abled children.

Simplification of Procedure for Reimbursement: This is a major area of concern. Many representations have been received by the Commission wherein employees have stated that due to cumbersome procedures, reimbursement has been held up for years. Another issue is the kind of voucher which will be accepted and which kind of voucher will not. The issue has been examined, and the apprehensions expressed are not without merit.

It is recommended that reimbursement should be done just once a year, after completion of the financial year (which for most schools coincides with the Academic year). For CEA, a certificate from the head of institution where the ward of government employee studies should be sufficient for this purpose. The certificate should confirm that the child studied in the school during the previous academic year.

For Hostel Subsidy, a similar certificate from the head of institution should suffice, with the additional requirement that the certificate should mention the amount of expenditure incurred by the government servant towards lodging and boarding in the residential complex. The amount of expenditure mentioned, or the ceiling as mentioned in the table above, whichever is lower, shall be paid to the employee.

The Central Government has decided and notified the allowance shall be admissible with effect from 1st July, 2017.

The total re-imbursement amount can be claimed per child per year:

Re-imbursement Per Child Per Year
M/Y	CEA	HS	DAC
Apr-17	1500	4500	3000
May-17	1500	4500	3000
Jun-17	1500	4500	3000
Jul-17	2250	6750	4500
Aug-17	2250	6750	4500
Sep-17	2250	6750	4500
Oct-17	2250	6750	4500
Nov-17	2250	6750	4500
Dec-17	2250	6750	4500
Jan-18	2250	6750	4500
Feb-18	2250	6750	4500
Mar-18	2250	6750	4500
Total	24750	74250	49500