Life Certificate Online : It seems some banks are insisting pensioners to submit the Life Certificate in the online mode only. Some banks are not accepting Life Certificate in physical form through the offline mode. The government has reiterated that a pensioner or a family pensioner has several options for the submission of the Life Certificate – either offline or online and even without a personal appearance. Online submission of Life Certificate is an additional or an alternative method provided to the pensioner and it is not compulsory to follow that method. The bank officer-in-charge cannot refuse to record the Life Certificate and ask only for online submission.
As a pensioner make sure you complete the formalities of submitting Life Certificate soon as the last date is November 30. Life Certificate can be submitted by the pensioner or the person availing family pension by presenting oneself at the authorised bank to record the Life Certificate.
In certain cases, the bank official may have to visit the pensioner’s residence to record the Life Certificate. According to Para 15.2 of the “Scheme for Payment of Pension to Central Civil Pensioner” which states that “In case a pensioner is unable to obtain a life certificate from an authorised Bank officer on account of serious illness/ incapacitation etc., an intimation to this effect supported by a medical certificate from a registered medical practitioner about his inability to appear in-person may be sent to officer-in-charge of the paying branch so that the latter may nominate an officer to visit the pensioner at his/her residence/hospital for the purpose of recording the Life Certificate”.
Further, in certain cases, a pensioner may be exempted from even visiting the bank branch if the pensioner produces a Life Certificate in a prescribed form signed by any person as authorised for this purpose. In such a case, the personal appearance of the pensioner at the bank branch is not required.