Life Certificate Goes Digital: No More Hassle with Aadhaar

If you are a retiree receiving a pension, you are likely required to submit a 'Jeevan Pramaan' (Life Certificate) every year. This process can be somewhat complicated. To address this, the facility has now been digitized.

People receive a pension upon retiring after years of service. Employees who are members of the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) are eligible for a pension. To continue receiving the pension, they must submit a life certificate annually, a process that typically requires an Aadhaar card and can be quite troublesome.

To alleviate this inconvenience, the pension process is being digitized. Pensioners no longer need to run from pillar to post to submit their life certificates, as the facility has gone digital. The 'Jeevan Pramaan' service can be utilized for this purpose.

What is Jeevan Pramaan?

The government has introduced the 'Jeevan Pramaan' system for the convenience of pensioners. Under this scheme, pensioners can submit a digital life certificate, eliminating the need to visit a bank or pension office annually for this purpose. Pensioners aged 80 years or older can submit their digital life certificates between October 1 and November 30; however, this timeline is subject to change if the government extends the deadline.

How can the life certificate be submitted?

Pensioners are not required to visit a bank branch to submit their life certificate; four different methods are available, and any one of them can be chosen.

Face Authentication

Pensioners can submit their life certificate by authenticating their identity via facial recognition using an Android smartphone equipped with the internet and a front-facing camera.

Biometric

Pensioners can also be verified using devices that scan fingerprints or the iris (eye). Banking Services at Home

Elderly individuals unable to visit the bank can avail themselves of the bank's doorstep banking service, where available. Under this service, bank staff can visit the home to assist in completing the necessary procedures.

Submission by Visiting the Bank

Pensioners may also choose to submit their life certificate by visiting the bank branch or the relevant pension office, just as before.

Required Documents

Submitting a life certificate primarily requires certain documents, such as:

Aadhaar number or Virtual ID (VID)
Pension Payment Order (PPO) number
Details of the pension-disbursing bank or agency

Active mobile number

Aadhaar-related details must be linked to the pension account or the records of the relevant pension agency as required, to facilitate identity verification.

Is a Digital Life Certificate Mandatory?

Please note that submitting a digital life certificate is not mandatory; it is an additional facility provided to pensioners. They may choose to submit their life certificate by visiting the bank or the relevant pension agency, just as before.