FAQs

What is the purpose of contributing to the Civil Service Family Protection Scheme?

The Civil Service Family Protection Scheme (CSFPS) is a contributory scheme which provides family protection to the dependents of deceased contributors. In other words, it provides for payment of a monthly pension to the spouse and children upon the death of a contributor (whether the contributor dies in service or after retirement).
It also makes provision for refund of contributions to the contributors or their legal representatives in specific circumstances.

Who are required to contribute to the Civil Service Family Protection Scheme?

Every public officer appointed before 01 January 2013 has a legal obligation to make a monthly contribution to the Scheme from the date of his/her appointment up the date of his/her retirement or when he/she ceases to be a public officer. Officers in post as at 30.06.2008, may on attaining the age of 60, opt to cease to contribute to the Scheme.

When does payment of a surviving spouse’s pension become payable?

It becomes payable when a contributor, who was married, passes away and leaves behind a surviving spouse.

When is a refund of contribution made to a contributor?

A refund of contribution is made:-

(a) when a contributor ceases to be a public officer and no pension is payable*;

(b) when on reaching the age of 60, a contributor has opted to cease to contribute to the scheme and no pension is payable*;and

*This applies when:-

(i) a contributor has never contracted marriage¹and has no minor child;

(ii) a contributor is either a widow/widower/divorceeand has no minor child;

May I have more details when the scheme benefits are payable?

To help you, a table has been worked out showing various scenarios. Among others, they include the following scenarios:
at the time of leaving the service, a contributor is still alive;
after leaving the service, a contributoris still alive;
when a contributor dies while in service or after leaving the service;
situations when one spouse only is a contributorto the Scheme and when both spouses are contributors to the Scheme.

See Table below showing different scenarios when the Scheme Benefits become payable:

Civil Service Family Protection Scheme Benefits Payable

SN	SCENARIO	STATUS OF BENEFICIARY	BENEFITS PAYABLE
			Surviving spouse’s pension(SSP) Children’s pension(CP) Children’s pension on compassionate grounds(CPCG). Payment effected subject to the Board Approval. Refund of Contributions to contributor(RCC) Refund of Contributions to Heirs(RCH)
A	When a contributor is still alive
A.1	At time of leaving the service(ieretirement, resignation, abolition of post, post declared vacant, dismissal, or permanent transfer to an approved service )	(i)Contributor is a bachelor /spinster or a widow/widower or divorcee, and has nochild²	RCC
		(ii) Contributor has a spouse and/or has at least one child²	No benefit payable at time of leaving the service
		(iii)When both Spouses were contributors to the Scheme and both are alive at the time of leaving the service	No benefit payable at time of leaving the service
A.2	After leaving the service (ieretirement, resignation, abolition of post, post declared vacant, dismissal, or permanent transfer to an approved service )	Contributor becomes a widow/widower/ divorcee and has no child²	RCC
A.3	When a contributor has opted to cease to	(i) Contributor is either a bachelor or spinster or is a widow/widower/divorcee, and has no child²	RCC
A.3	When a contributor has opted to cease to	(ii) Contributor has a spouse and/or has at least one child²	No benefit is payable at time of leaving the service
B	When a contributor passes away
B.1	When the contributor is married andboth spouses are contributors to the Scheme and one dies in service or after leaving service	(i)The deceased contributor leaves asurviving spouse only	SSP(provided surviving spouse does not contract anothermarriage¹) + RCC in respect of surviving spouse’s contributions
		(ii)The deceased contributor leaves a surviving spouse³and at least one child²	SSP (provided spouse does not contract another marriage¹) + CP + RCC in respect of surviving spouse ’s contributions
		(iii)The deceased contributor leaves a surviving spouse³and a child, who is not eligible to a CP, but who is:- (a) disabled; and (b) receiving a basic invalidity pension & a carer’s allowance	SSP (provided spouse does not contract another marriage¹) + CPCG
B.2 (i)	When the contributor is marriedand passes away at the same time as his/her spousewho was also a contributor.	(i) The deceased contributors leave at least one child²	CP in respect of both contributors
B.2 (i)		(ii)The deceased contributors leave a child who is not eligible to a CP, but who is:- (a) disabled; and (b) receiving a basic invalidity pension & a carer’s allowance	CPCG in respect of both contributors
B.2 (ii)	When the contributor is marriedand passes away at the same time as his/her spousewho was also a contributor and leave no child²	The beneficiaries are the heirs of the deceased contributors.	RCHin respect of both contributors
B.3	When a contributor who has never contracted a marriage¹, dies in service or after leaving the service	(i)Thedeceased contributor leaves at least one child²	CP
B.3		(ii) The deceased contributors leave a child who is not eligible to a CP, but who is:- (a) disabled; and (b) receiving a basic invalidity pension & a carer’s allowance	CPCG
B.4	When a contributor who is a bachelor/ spinster or a widow/widower or a divorcee and has nochild² dies in service.	The beneficiaries are the heirs of the deceased contributor	RCH
B.5	When a contributor who is a bachelor/ spinster or a widow/widower or a divorcee and has at least onechild², dies in service or after leaving service	The beneficiaryis thechild² of the deceased contributor	CP
B.6	When a contributor who was married, dies in service or after leaving the service and leaves a surviving spouse only.	The beneficiary is the surviving spouse³of the deceased contributor.	SSP
	When a contributor who was married, dies in service or after leaving the service and leaves a surviving spouse with at least one child²	The beneficiaries are the surviving spouse and minor childrenof the deceased contributor.	SSP + CP
	When a contributor who was married, dies in service or after leaving the service and leaves at least one child²	The beneficiary is the child²of the deceased contributor.	CP
	When a contributor who was married, dies in service or after leaving the service and leaves a child who is not eligible to a CP, but who is:- (a) disabled; and (b) receiving a basic invalidity pension & a carer’s allowance	The beneficiary is the disabled child of the deceased contributor.	CPCG

How is the monthly pension computed?

Monthly Pension = No. of months * x last monthly salary x rate**

600*

*(a) For officers in post as at 30.06.2008,the maximum number of months of contribution is 400 months and the denominator is 600 months;

*(b) For those in post as from 01 July 2008, the maximum number of months of contribution is 460 months and the denominator is 690 months

**(c) The appropriate rates used in the above formula, are as follows:

When a contributor leaves:

asurviving spouse only = 1/3;
asurviving spouse + child = 1/2;

iii. one child only = 1/4;

2 or more children = 1/2

How is the amount of refund of contributions computed?

The amount refunded, is made up of the total contributions made by the contributor plus compound interest computed annually from the date of first contribution up to the date of eligibility.

The rate of interest is as follows:

(i) 2.5% per annum from date of first contribution up to 31.12.1992;

(ii) 4% per annum from 01.01.1993 onwards

EXTRACTS FROM INTERPRETATION SECTION OF THE CIVIL SERVICE FAMILY PROTECTION SCHEME ACT

“marriage¹” –

(a) in relation to a contributor,

(i) means civil marriage or religious marriage governed by articles

228-1 to 228-10 of the Code Civil Mauricien; but

(ii) does not include the marriage referred to in subparagraph (i) contracted after the contributor has ceased to be a public officer or an employee, as the case may be;

“child²”, in relation to a contributor, –

(a) means a legitimate or legitimated child, a natural acknowledged child or a child whose filiation has been pronounced by a Court of Law, a posthumous child, an adopted child or a stepchild who –

(i) is under the age of 18; or

(ii) after reaching the age of 18 is receiving fulltime education at a university, college, school or other educational establishment, until he reaches the age of 21 or ceases to receive such education, whichever is the earlier; but

(b) does not include –

(i) a child conceived after the contributor has ceased to be a public officer or an employee as the case may be, and any child of the conceiving spouse by a previous marriage; or

(ii) a child adopted after the contributor has ceased to be a public officer or an employee as the case may be;

“spouse³”, in relation to a contributor, does not include a spouse whom he marries after he ceases to be a public officer or an employee, as the case may be.

27.12.2017