Supreme Court holds man’s general provident fund must be shared by wife, mother despite latter being nominee

The Supreme Court recently allowed a woman’s plea to receive the general provident fund (GPF) amount accumulated through his husband’s employment despite her mother being the only nominee.

A bench of Justices Sanjay Karol and N Kotiswar Singh said the nomination form itself makes such a nomination void after subscriber acquiring family and allows the distribution of funds with all eligible family members in equal shares.

The bench while allowing the wife’s plea noted that the nomination was in favour of the late employee’s mother, but added, “The condition stipulated in the nomination form rendered such nomination, at the time of death, void.”

The court further said that the provident nomination form and its clause itself do not provide a better claim to the mother over the employee’s