The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has collaborated with India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) to make it easier for pensioners to submit their Digital Life Certificate (DLC) without stepping out of their homes. And the best part is that this will be offered free of cost.
With the help of IPPB, the Jeevan Pramaan as the DLC is called, can be submitted at the pensioner’s doorstep without having to visit a bank or an EPFO office. It is a biometric-enabled proof based on the pensioner’s Aadhar, and is offered under the Employees’ Pension Scheme, 1995 (EPS’95). A unique id called the Pramaan id is given to each DLC and is processed automatically by the Pension Disbursing Agency. This will also do away with the requirement of paper certificates.
The India Post Payments Bank will use its network of over 1.6 lakh post offices across the country to implement this service. Over three lakh postal service providers will also be tapped to make the service efficient. The staff visiting the homes of pensioners will be carrying doorstep banking devices equipped with face-recognition software and fingerprint authentication systems.
Recently, the EPFO also allowed members to withdraw up to 100 per cent of their eligible balance from their provident fund (PF) accounts as part of its reforms. Previously, full PF withdrawal was permitted only in limited cases, such as retirement or prolonged unemployment.