Facility of Life Certificate by banks from doorstep of pensioners

Speed Post News Network

New Delhi : The Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare (DoPPW), has taken a landmark step to make life easier for senior citizens to submit their Annual Life Certificate for continued pension.

The Department on January 17, 2020, vide its circular no. 12/4/2020-P&PW(C)-6300, has issued directions to all the Pension Disbursing Banks to send SMSs/Emails to all their pensioners on October 24, November 1, November 15,, and  November 25 every year reminding them to submit their Annual Life Certificates by November 30.

The Department, for stricter monitoring to ensure that no pensioner is left out, directed all Pension Disbursing Banks to make an exception list as on December 1 every year of those pensioners who fail to submit their Life Certificate and issue another SMS/Email to them for submitting the Life Certificate. The bank in addition will also ask such pensioners through SMS/Email as to whether they are interested in submission of Life Certificate through a chargeable doorstep service, the charge not exceeding Rs 60, according to a PIB release.

The Central Pension Processing Cells (CPPC) of the Pension Disbursing Banks shall now be duty bound to submit a report to DoPPW in the month of January, February & March respectively, indicating the total number of pensioners who have not given their Life Certificate along with a breakup of the Certificates submitted physically and through Digital means.

This step is in addition to the order issued on July 18, 2019, vide which all pensioners age 80 years and above have been given an exclusive window to submit their Life Certificate w.e.f. October 1 every year instead of  November 1 every year.