PIB News Update: 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 vide its circular no. 12/4/2020-P&PW(C)-6300, dated 17.01.2020 has issued directions to all the Pension Disbursing Banks to send SMSs/Emails to all their pensioners on 24th October, 1st November, 15th November and 25th November every year reminding them to submit their Annual Life Certificates by 30th November.
The Department for stricter monitoring in order to ensure that no pensioners are left out, directed all Pension Disbursing Banks to make an exception list as on 1st December 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/-.
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.
The above is a landmark step from the side of the Central Government showing due care for pensioners. This step is in addition to the order issued recently dated 18.07.2019 vide which all pensioners age 80 years and above have been given an exclusive window to submit their Life Certificate w.e.f. 1st October every year instead of 1st November every year.