Digital Life Certificate: Who Can Submit It, Eligibility Rules, and How to Complete the Process from Home
Every year, millions of retired employees across India must submit a Life Certificate to continue receiving their pensions. Traditionally, this process required personal visits to banks or post offices, often causing inconvenience for senior citizens. However, with the introduction of the Digital Life Certificate (DLC), also known as Jeevan Pramaan, the process has become significantly easier and faster.
But did you know that not every pensioner can use this digital facility? Let’s understand who is eligible to submit a Digital Life Certificate, what the process involves, and the key deadlines you must keep in mind.
What Is a Digital Life Certificate (Jeevan Pramaan)?
The Digital Life Certificate is a biometric-based digital document that verifies a pensioner’s identity and living status. Developed to simplify the pension verification process, it eliminates the need for pensioners to physically visit their banks or pension offices.
This certificate is created using the pensioner’s Aadhaar number and biometric details (either fingerprint or iris scan). Once generated, it is automatically transmitted to the concerned Pension Disbursing Authority (PDA) for verification and payment continuation.
Each digital certificate is assigned a unique Pramaan ID, which can be used for future reference or verification.
Submission Deadline
All central and state government pensioners must submit their Life Certificate—digital or physical—by 30 November 2025. Failure to submit the certificate by this date may result in the suspension of pension payments until compliance is completed.
Who Cannot Use the Digital Life Certificate Facility?
According to the official guidelines of the Jeevan Pramaan portal, this service is not available to:
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Pensioners who have remarried after retirement.
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Pensioners who have rejoined employment after retirement.
Such individuals must submit their Life Certificate manually to their respective Pension Disbursing Authority (PDA) instead of using the online mode.
This restriction ensures that only eligible pensioners—whose records are active and unchanged—use the digital platform for verification.
Who Can Use the Digital Life Certificate Service?
Only those pensioners whose Pension Sanctioning Authority (PSA) is registered on the Jeevan Pramaan platform can use this digital facility.
To check whether your PSA is registered, you can visit the official Jeevan Pramaan website and check under the Circulars section.
Documents and Information Required
Before generating your Digital Life Certificate, ensure you have the following details ready:
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Aadhaar number
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Registered mobile number
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PPO (Pension Payment Order) number
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Bank account details (linked with your pension)
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Name of your Pension Sanctioning Authority
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Biometric information (fingerprint or iris scan)
Once you have these, you can generate your certificate using any of the following methods:
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Through the Jeevan Pramaan website or mobile app using an Aadhaar-linked biometric device.
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At your nearest bank, CSC (Common Service Centre), or post office that supports the service.
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At home, using doorstep assistance available through EPFO or IPPB services.
How EPFO and IPPB Make It Easier
In a major relief for retirees, the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has collaborated with the India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) to offer doorstep Digital Life Certificate services for EPFO pensioners.
This service is completely free of cost. Pensioners can schedule a visit from a postal agent who will visit their home, perform biometric verification using a handheld device, and upload the certificate online. This eliminates the need to visit a bank or EPFO office entirely.
Key Benefits of the Digital Life Certificate
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Hassle-free process: No physical paperwork or travel required.
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Time-saving: Entire process takes only a few minutes.
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Secure and paperless: Aadhaar-based verification ensures authenticity.
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Automatic updates: The certificate is directly shared with the pension authority.
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Accessible from home: Doorstep verification is especially beneficial for elderly pensioners.
Final Words
The Digital Life Certificate has revolutionized the pension verification process, making it faster, safer, and more accessible. However, it’s essential to understand the eligibility criteria before using this facility. Pensioners who have remarried or taken up new employment must continue using the manual process.
If you’re eligible, submitting your Jeevan Pramaan before 30 November 2025 will ensure that your pension remains uninterrupted. With the government’s digital initiatives like EPFO-IPPB doorstep service, pensioners can now complete the entire process comfortably from their homes.
