India

EPFO Launches Digital Life Certificate Drive in Agra to Ease Pensioners’ Annual Submissions

By Livemint

Pensioners under the Employees' Pension Scheme (EPS) will no longer need to visit an EPFO office to submit their annual life certificates. The EPFO regional office in Agra is preparing to promote digital facilities that allow pensioners to complete the process using a smartphone. The initiative is part of the fifth Nationwide Digital Life Certificate Campaign, which will run from November 1 to 30. The month‑long campaign, organised by the Department of Pension and Pensioners' Welfare, will involve EPFO and several other government departments and institutions. Its main focus will be on encouraging pensioners to use digital life certificates and face authentication technology. Assistant Regional Commissioner Mithilesh Kumar Chaudhary said the Agra office would inform local pensioners about these facilities and encourage them to use the digital process. The aim is to make the submission of life certificates easier, particularly for elderly pensioners, those who are unwell and people who live away from the city where their pension‑related records are maintained. A digital life certificate, also known as Jeevan Pramaan, allows pensioners to prove that they are alive without submitting a physical document in person. Under the face authentication system, an eligible pensioner can use a compatible smartphone to complete the verification process. The technology is intended to reduce the need for repeated visits to government offices or banks. It could be particularly useful for senior citizens who find travelling difficult or depend on family members to take them to offices. The nationwide campaign will place special emphasis on face authentication. According to the Department of Pension and Pensioners' Welfare, the technology can be used on both Android and iOS smartphones. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the Unique Identification Authority of India will provide technical support during the campaign. The campaign will cover around 2,000 cities and districts across the country. Government departments, pension‑disbursing banks, India Post Payments Bank, pensioners' welfare associations, EPFO and state governments will work together to reach beneficiaries. The government has set a target of generating 2.30 crore digital life certificates, including 1.50 crore through face authentication. Assistance will also be arranged for pensioners who need help with the process. The national campaign includes doorstep services where required, along with camps and support for grievances related to digital life certificates. EPFO has also introduced changes to make pension payments easier. Its Centralised Pension Payment System (CPPS) was implemented across its regional offices from 1 January 2025. Under this system, EPS pensioners can receive their pension through any branch of any scheduled commercial bank across the country. Earlier, pensioners could face difficulties when they moved to another city or changed their bank branch because their pension payment arrangements were linked to specific locations and banking arrangements. The centralised system removes the need to transfer the Pension Payment Order (PPO) simply because a pensioner has moved or changed their bank branch. The facility is expected to help retired employees who relocate after retirement and those who live in a different city from the one where they originally received their pension.