Now Reading: Centre bars HRA claim when spouse gets government housing
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Centre bars HRA claim when spouse gets government housing
The Finance Ministry has clarified that a Central government employee cannot claim House Rent Allowance if their spouse has been allotted government accommodation at the same station. The rule applies even when…
The Story in Brief
The Finance Ministry has clarified that a Central government employee cannot claim House Rent Allowance if their spouse has been allotted government accommodation at the same station. The rule applies even when both spouses are government employees. Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Choudhary gave the clarification in a written Rajya Sabha reply on 4 August.
The ministry said HRA compensates employees who pay rent when official housing is unavailable. If either spouse receives government accommodation, the family is treated as housed and the other spouse is deemed not to incur rental expenses. The Centre said it has received no representations seeking a change and has no proposal to review the policy. The clarification does not change separate HRA tax rules under Section 10(13A).
The Indian Opinion
Claims that the Centre has introduced a fresh restriction overstate the announcement. The ministry has reaffirmed an existing rule based on the family’s access to official housing, not on whether both spouses draw salaries. The opposite claim, that dual-government households are automatically entitled to two housing benefits, is equally weak. The practical test is simple: whether either spouse has government accommodation at the same station. That fact decides the HRA claim.
Sources (2): businesstoday.in, livemint.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
