How NRIs can submit life certificate for uninterrupted pension
What's the story
Retired individuals who receive pensions under the Employees' Pension Scheme (EPS-95) must keep their Life Certificate, or Jeevan Pramaan, up to date. This document acts as proof of life and is required to be submitted annually for uninterrupted pension disbursement. However, the process can be tricky for Non-Resident Indian (NRI) pensioners living abroad due to lack of access to Indian bank branches or Aadhaar-linked mobile numbers.
Solutions
Bank officer attestation
The Department of Pension and Pensioners' Welfare (DoPPW) has provided alternative solutions for NRI pensioners to submit their Life Certificate.
One option is submitting the certificate through a bank officer at a bank covered under the Second Schedule of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Act, 1934.
Here, the Life Certificate is signed by a designated bank officer, eliminating the need for physical appearance by the pensioner.
Digital submission
Digital Life Certificate
Another option is the Aadhaar-based face authentication method to generate a Digital Life Certificate. This can be done without visiting a bank or pension office, making it the most convenient option.
However, NRI pensioners need to check if they have access to an Indian mobile number and compatible devices for this digital authentication process.
Diplomatic assistance
Indian embassies and consulates
Indian embassies or consulates can also help NRIs who can't travel to India but still want a pension.
The diplomatic officer can authenticate the NRI pensioner with documents like Pension Payment Order (PPO) and passport photograph, and issue the Life Certificate accordingly.
This option is especially useful for elderly pensioners permanently settled abroad who can't visit India every year for timely submission of their certificates.
Agent assistance
Authorized agents
NRI pensioners who can't travel to India or use the digital route can also submit their Life Certificate through an authorized agent.
The certificate can be issued or authenticated by a competent authority such as a magistrate, notary, banker, or Indian diplomatic representative.
The agent then submits the certificate to the appropriate authority on behalf of the pensioner.