Dependent Eligibility Checker
Check whether a spouse, son, daughter or parent qualifies as an eligible ECHS dependent.
Last updated 31/07/2026
Calculator
Dependent Eligibility Checker inputs
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Manage My Service DetailsEligibility
Eligible
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How this works
What it means
Whether a specific family member qualifies as an eligible ECHS dependent, based on their relation to you and, where relevant, their age, marital status, employment status, or financial dependency.
How it’s calculated
Each relation has its own general eligibility rule: a spouse is generally eligible outright; a son must be unmarried, unemployed and below a commonly-cited age ceiling; a daughter must be unmarried and unemployed with no age ceiling; a parent must be financially dependent on, and residing with, the primary member.
Common Defence use cases
Checking whether a specific family member (spouse, son, daughter or parent) qualifies as a dependent before adding them to your ECHS card, and understanding why a dependent might not currently qualify.
Formula
Spouse: Eligible (assumes a valid, subsisting marriage)
Son: Eligible if Unmarried AND Unemployed AND Age < commonly-cited ceiling (see Assumptions)
Daughter: Eligible if Unmarried AND Unemployed (no age ceiling)
Parent: Eligible if Financially Dependent AND Residing with Primary Member
Other: Not Modeled in V1Assumptions
- This is general guidance only, not an official determination — always verify with your nearest ECHS Regional Centre before relying on it.
- Uses a commonly-cited age ceiling of 25 years for an unmarried, unemployed son to remain an eligible dependent — this specific figure is widely cited but not independently verified against a specific current notification for every case; check the applicable rule for your situation.
- A daughter has no age ceiling modeled, only marital and employment status — reflecting the commonly-cited general rule that an unmarried, unemployed daughter remains eligible regardless of age.
- A parent's eligibility is modeled purely on financial dependency and co-residence — actual rules may additionally consider an income ceiling, which this checker does not ask for or verify.
- "Other Dependent Family Member" (e.g. siblings, in-laws) is not modeled — eligibility for these categories varies significantly and is not covered in Version 1.
- Every field except Dependent Relation is optional, since CalculatorEngine renders all fields for every relation — an unanswered relation-specific field produces an explicit "Information Required" result rather than blocking the form.
Example calculations
Spouse
Eligible — assumes a valid, subsisting marriage to the primary member
Son, age 22, unmarried, unemployed
Eligible — below the commonly-cited 25-year age ceiling
Son, age 27, unmarried, unemployed
Not Eligible — at or above the commonly-cited 25-year age ceiling
Daughter, unmarried, unemployed
Eligible — no age ceiling generally applies
Parent, financially dependent: No
Not Eligible — must be both financially dependent on, and residing with, the primary member