The Kerala High Court, in a judgment dated 18 August 2026, dismissed a petition filed by an 83‑year‑old retired fisheries officer, who had been receiving a state pension, seeking Rs 15,000 a month from her granddaughter and a share of her son’s widow pension. The court held she had no legal basis to claim additional support, citing the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act.
The complainant, who retired from the Kerala Fisheries Department, had already secured a pension following her husband’s death, who served as a Senior Superintendent with the Kerala State Electricity Board. After his death, his wife became entitled to a widow family pension, while his daughter, a college student, was pursuing higher education with a bank loan.
Under Section 2(g) of the Act, a "relative" includes a daughter-in‑law but not a granddaughter. The petitioner’s counsel argued the granddaughter fell under both "children" and "relative," but the court found this interpretation unsupported, especially given the granddaughter’s student status.
The court noted that the widow and granddaughter had already received a death benefit of ₹12.28 lakh, and that the petitioner had not contested the payment. It concluded that the grandmother could not be expected to demand maintenance or a pension share when she herself already received a pension.
The court’s decision leaves the petitioner with no remedy under the Act; she may seek recourse elsewhere, but no immediate appeal is scheduled.
For the granddaughter, the ruling means the loan for her college studies remains her sole responsibility, while the widow continues to receive her full pension.