Hi,

One of our employees passed away recently due to a heart attack. He was in our service at the time of his demise and had served for a period of seven years. We did not obtain any nominations from the employees for gratuity payment.

We have now received a letter from his wife requesting to settle his gratuity. I would appreciate your suggestions on how to proceed and what documents are required to settle the gratuity and other dues for his wife.

Regards,
erv

From India, Madras

Dear,

When we do not have a nomination, we have to face this type of difficulty. In accordance with section 4 of the Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972, when there is no nomination, we are required to make the payment of gratuity to the legal heir(s) of the deceased. If you are satisfied that she is the only legal heir, then release the payment. However, as Mr. Madhu has suggested, to be on the safer side, you can obtain an affidavit stating that if any disputes arise later regarding this payment, she will be responsible for the results. If there is any dispute, you should demand the legal heir certificate from her.

Opinion/comments submitted as requested.

With Regards,
R.N.Khola

From India, Delhi

Hi,

I have certain queries:

1. Are all companies liable to pay gratuity to employees if they have more than 10 persons employed?
2. Like in our organization, the company is not keeping any separate fund/contribution in CTC which is being marked as Gratuity. So, if any employee leaves service after 5 years, can he/she still claim it?
3. Neither do we fill any forms like Form F nor have we registered ourselves anywhere, and no inspectors have ever asked us about gratuity. So, are we missing some procedure? I have normally seen 90% of the organizations following the above.

Thank you.

From India, Chandigarh

Hi all,

Thanks for the suggestions. Can we use the nomination provided in Form 2 (revised) for the PF nomination to settle the gratuity dues of a deceased employee in the absence of a nomination in Form F? Kindly share your opinions/comments.

Regards,
erv

From India, Madras

Since you have not taken nomination as prescribed under the Payment of Gratuity Act, you can pay the amount to the nominee as mentioned in Form 2 of EPF. However, you will be doing it at your own risk. One point to consider is that the authority under the Gratuity Act is the State's Labour Department (Labour Officer/Labour Commissioner in Central), whereas under the Employees' Provident Fund, it is the Provident Fund Commissioner.

Gratuity is mandatory. Whether provided for or not, you are supposed to pay it once an employee leaves after serving for at least 5 years. In the case of an employee's death, their legal representatives should be paid gratuity even if the deceased employee did not complete five years of service.

Regards,
Madhu.T.K

From India, Kannur

Sir, with due respect may i ask would it be better to ask for a Succession Certificate form Civil court in absence of Nomination form ,then release on the basis on that.
From India, Delhi

If the employer fails to make payment of gratuity within one month, the concerned official can take any step which he finds appropriate, besides charging interest. The delay, having been caused due to his oversight of not getting nomination, the impact will also be with the employer alone. As suggested by R N Khola, let the employer take the initiative to make payment on the basis of any succession certificate.

Regards, Madhu.T.K

From India, Kannur

Dear,

I do not deal in civil matters; however, from what I have gathered so far, both the certificates, i.e., succession and legal certificates, have separate entities. Under this Act, we are required to have a legal heir certificate. The employer is bound to make the gratuity payment to the legal heir(s).

With Regards,
R.N.Khola


From India, Delhi

Sir, But suppose their are dispute between the legal heirs,i.e the claimant then what?? Legal heirship certificate serve the purpose when the claimant is certain that there is no dispute.
From India, Delhi

Dear,

If there is any dispute between the legal heirs, then that will be finalized by the appropriate court. Claimants also have the remedy by filing the claim before the Controlling Authority under the PG Act.


From India, Delhi

Looking for something specific? - Join & Be Part Of Our Community and get connected with the right people who can help. Our AI-powered platform provides real-time fact-checking, peer-reviewed insights, and a vast historical knowledge base to support your search.






Contact Us Privacy Policy Disclaimer Terms Of Service

All rights reserved @ 2025 CiteHR ®

All Copyright And Trademarks in Posts Held By Respective Owners.