Last update:06 November 2024, 07:00 IST

Pension paying authorities require regular checks to confirm the existence of the pensioner.

Life certificate for retirees Last date 2024

A life certificate is an official document used to confirm that a retiree is alive. Pension-paying authorities, including government agencies, are primarily responsible for ensuring that pensions are paid only to eligible individuals.

In India, a Certificate of life is an essential document allowing retirees to maintain their retirement benefits. However, there is a deadline to submit the same in order to avail the continued pension benefits. Don’t miss submission deadlines to ensure uninterrupted retirement benefits!

Deadline for submitting life certificate for retirees 2024

General submission deadline: This starts on November 1 and November 30, 2024 is the deadline for all retirees to submit their annual life certificate.

Special provision for senior retirees: Retirees aged 80 and over can begin submitting their life certificates from October 1, a month earlier than the usual start date of November 1.

The introduction of digital services like Jeevan Pramaan has made the process more efficient, ensuring ease and accessibility for retirees across the country.

What is Jeevan Pramaan?

Jeevan Pramaan, or Digital Life Certificate, is a digital service that leverages biometrics to streamline the retirement process for retirees. Designed for pensioners from central and state governments and other government agencies, this service enables submission of life certificates online, eliminating the need for physical visits to banks or pension offices.

Since November 2021, retirees can submit their digital life certificate via facial authentication using an Android smartphone. This digital process has empowered retirees, eliminating the need to visit banks or service centers for submission.

How to submit a digital life certificate?

Retirees can present their life certificate via:

Online submission: Use the Jeevan Pramaan app for a hassle-free digital submission process.

Physical submission: Certificates can also be submitted to designated locations such as banks, post offices and state treasury offices.

In the past, retirees were required to visit their pension disbursement agencies in person every year to present their life certificates, which was often a tedious and time-consuming task. The Jeevan Pramaan initiative solves this problem by digitalizing the process of obtaining a life certificate.

Life certificate for retirees online

Where to get a Jeevan Pramaan (Digital Life Certificate)

You can obtain a life certificate in one of the following ways:

• Various Citizen Service Centers (CSC) located across India
• Pensioners can visit the Jeevan Pramaan portal and generate and submit their life certificate using fingerprints using a fingerprint scanner.
• They can also download the Jeevan Pramaan mobile app and provide their life certificate through the app.
• Office of Pension Paying Agencies (PDAs) such as Post Office, Banks, Treasury, etc.
• It can also be generated from home/any place on laptop/mobile.Aadhaar or VID number is essential to generate/obtain the digital life certificate.
• Pensioners can also access ‘Doorstep Banking’, available in a few public sector banks across the country. This service is available for people aged over 70 or those with reduced mobility to help them present their certificates.
• Pensioners can also use facial authentication technology to submit their certificates using an Android smartphone. For this, they need to download the Aadhaar Face RD app from the Google Play Store and the Jeevan Pramaan app.
• Life certificates can also be submitted through the India Post Payments Bank’s ‘Doorstep Service for Submission of Digital Life Certificate by Postman’ initiative. This service can be used by downloading the “Postinfo APP” from the Google Play Store.

Once the life certificate is submitted, it is automatically uploaded to the database and the retiree’s pension is credited without delay.

Why do people need a life certificate in India?

The need for a life certificate arises from the following reasons:

1. Verification of retirees

Pension paying authorities require regular checks to confirm the existence of the pensioner. This prevents fraudulent claims where pensions could be received in the name of deceased people.

2. Annual requirement

Most pension schemes, especially those of the central and state governments, require retirees to submit their life certificate every year. This ensures that only eligible retirees continue to receive their pension.

3. Continuity of pension payments

Submission of a life certificate is crucial for uninterrupted payment of retirement benefits. Failure to provide this document within the required time frame may result in temporary suspension of pension payments.

4. Simplified processes with digital life certificates

The Digital Life Certificate (Jeevan Pramaan) has modernized this requirement, allowing retirees to submit their certificates online via biometric authentication, thereby reducing the need for physical visits to banks or pension offices.

5. Special provisions for elderly people

Recognizing the difficulties faced by older pensioners, the government has made provisions such as early submission dates for those aged 80 and above, making the process even easier.