Aadhaar, fingerprint verification not mandatory for pensioners to submit life certificate

Pensioners under the Employee Pension Scheme (EPS) can now submit their life certificates without the Aadhaar cards or the fingerprint verification, the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) clarified on Tuesday.

While issuing alternate instructions to the banks and post offices, EPFO said that pensioners facing problems in submitting Jeevan Pramaan due to non-availability of 12-digit unique identity number or failed fingerprint verification, should be allowed to give paper life certificates so that the monthly payment is not affected.

Jeevan Pramaan is an Aadhaar-based digital life certificate for pensioners under central, state governments or any other government organisation. Many pensioners have reportedly complained that they are facing problems in getting the Jeevan Pramaan due to non-availability of Aadhar cards or wearing out of their fingerprints.

EPFO has also listed a couple of alternative mechanism for those who don't have a Jeevan Pramaan:

 

• Arrangements will be made so that pensioners without Aadhaar cards can get their cards made. Unique Identification Authority of India has asked the concerned banks to set up Aadhaar enrolment centers. The details for these centres are available on the UIDAI website.
• Under Aadhaar (Enrolment and Update) Regulations 2016, the banks should make special arrangements for the beneficiaries who are bedridden, differently-abled, or senior citizens and cannot come to the enrolment centres.
• Till the Aadhaar card-related formalities are complete, pension can be disbursed after submission of a paper life certificate.
• In case where fingerprint verification fails, banks can get IRIS scanning done for the beneficiaries.
• In case of both fingerprint scanning and IRIS authentication are not possible, an entry should be made in the Exception Register with all details and reasons. A paper life certificate with a copy of physical Aadhaar card or E-Aadhaar card of the pensioner after due verification as deemed fit by the bank.
• For E-Aadhaar cards, QR Codes are downloadable. A QR code scanner can be scanned even offline and that will provide the basic details of a person.

 
The EPFO circular added that the exception register, which should have all the details of exception granted along with paper life certificate, Aadhaar number or Aadhaar enrolment ID etc, may be reviewed and audited periodically by senior management of the bank to check discrepancies.