Government Service · Pensioners · Life Certificate
How to Generate a Jeevan Pramaan Digital Life Certificate
A Jeevan Pramaan is a Digital Life Certificate (DLC) that lets a pensioner prove they are alive without physically visiting the bank, post office or pension office. It is built on Aadhaar, so instead of signing a paper life certificate you authenticate with your fingerprint, iris or face, and the certificate is sent electronically to your Pension Disbursing Agency using your Pension Payment Order (PPO) number. Submitting it keeps the pension running; failing to submit it in the window is the most common reason a pension is paused. This page shows you how to generate a Jeevan Pramaan at home or at a nearby centre, how to authenticate with face recognition if biometrics fail, when to submit it, and what to do if your pension stops over a life-certificate issue. Last verified October 2026.
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01What a Digital Life Certificate is
A Digital Life Certificate (DLC) is the online version of the annual life certificate every pensioner has to give so their Pension Disbursing Agency (a bank, post office or treasury) keeps paying. It is generated through the Jeevan Pramaan system at jeevanpramaan.gov.in.
Each DLC carries a unique Jeevan Pramaan ID, is linked to your PPO number, and is delivered electronically to the pension agency, so you do not have to carry a paper form. It is accepted across central and most state and autonomous-body pensions that are onboarded to the system.
02What you need before you start
- Aadhaar number registered with your pension account.
- Mobile number linked to Aadhaar (for OTP).
- Your PPO number, the pension account number, and the name of the Pension Disbursing Agency and sanctioning authority.
- A device for authentication: a smartphone with the Jeevan Pramaan app and the Face RD app, or a computer with a registered fingerprint or iris device.
Your Aadhaar must already be seeded with your pension account. If it is not, seed it at the bank or pension office first, otherwise the DLC will not match your pension record.
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03Step by step: generate it yourself
The face-authentication route on a smartphone is the easiest for most pensioners.
- Step 1. Install the AadhaarFaceRD app and the Jeevan Pramaan app from the official app store.
- Step 2. Open Jeevan Pramaan, enter your Aadhaar and mobile number, and verify the OTP (operator and then pensioner authentication).
- Step 3. Fill in your PPO number, pension account, Pension Disbursing Agency and sanctioning authority, exactly as in your pension records.
- Step 4. Scan your face (or use the fingerprint or iris device) to authenticate against Aadhaar.
- Step 5. On success you get a Jeevan Pramaan ID and the DLC is generated and sent electronically to your pension agency. Note the ID and download the certificate.
04If biometrics fail: face authentication
Older fingerprints often fail the scanner, which used to force a visit to the bank. Face authentication solves this.
- Use the Face RD route in the Jeevan Pramaan app: it uses the phone camera to match your face with Aadhaar, so no external biometric device is needed.
- Do it in good light, hold the phone steady, remove spectacles if asked, and follow the blink prompt.
- If face authentication also fails after a few tries, use an assisted centre with an iris scanner, which usually works where fingerprints do not.
05Where to get it done if you cannot
You do not have to do it alone. Assisted options include:
- Your bank or pension-paying branch, which can generate the DLC on its device.
- Post office / India Post Payments Bank (IPPB), including a doorstep request where a postman comes home to generate the DLC (a small charge may apply).
- Common Service Centres (CSC) and designated Jeevan Pramaan centres.
For a bedridden or very old pensioner, the IPPB doorstep service and the face app are the most practical routes.
06When to submit and how to confirm
Timing matters, because a missed window pauses the pension.
- The life certificate is generally due in November each year, and pensioners aged 80 and above can usually submit from October.
- After generating, confirm the DLC has been accepted by your Pension Disbursing Agency, not just generated. You can check the status on jeevanpramaan.gov.in using your Jeevan Pramaan ID or PPO number.
- Keep the Jeevan Pramaan ID and the downloaded certificate as proof.
Generating the DLC is only half the job. Confirm your pension agency has accepted it, because a certificate that does not reach or match the record is the same as no certificate.
07If your pension stops: where Claw fits
Claw is an all-in-one legaltech platform for Indian advocates, law firms, and corporate legal teams, combining AI-based case search, an AI legal assistant (Legal GPT), case management, and compliance automation across all Indian courts and tribunals.
Usually a pension that pauses over a life certificate restarts once the DLC is accepted or the Aadhaar seeding is fixed, and a grievance on CPGRAMS (pgportal.gov.in) or the pensioners' portal is enough. But sometimes a pension is wrongly withheld, reduced or recovered and the department will not correct it. For a central government pensioner such a service or pension dispute is usually heard by the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), with a further challenge lying to the High Court; for others it can be a writ petition before the High Court. Once the matter is before a tribunal or a court, there is a real case with a number and dates.
At that point you can create a FREE Claw account and track the matter by case number or party name. Claw spans 9,102 courts, benches and forums, searches 30 crore+ judgments (Supreme Court from 1950, High Courts from 1990) and returns results in under 5 seconds, and it does not train on your documents. Tracking tells you what is on the cause list and the order sheet on the forums and date searched; it is a way to stay on top of your case, not legal advice, so use it alongside your advocate.
08Sources and further reading
- Jeevan Pramaan (Digital Life Certificate): jeevanpramaan.gov.in
- CPGRAMS (central grievance portal): pgportal.gov.in
- India Post (IPPB doorstep service): ipostgpo.gov.in
- Claw: clawlaw.in
This page is general information for readers in India, not legal advice. App names, the submission window and doorstep charges can change; confirm the current details on the Jeevan Pramaan portal.
09Frequently asked questions
How do I generate a Jeevan Pramaan life certificate at home?
Install the Jeevan Pramaan app and the AadhaarFaceRD app, enter your Aadhaar and OTP, fill in your PPO number and pension details, and authenticate with your face (or fingerprint or iris). On success you get a Jeevan Pramaan ID and the DLC is sent to your pension agency electronically.
My fingerprint will not scan. Can I still generate a DLC?
Yes. Use the Face RD face-authentication route in the Jeevan Pramaan app, which uses the phone camera instead of a fingerprint device. Do it in good light and follow the blink prompt. If that fails too, an iris scan at an assisted centre usually works.
When is the life certificate due?
It is generally due in November each year, and pensioners aged 80 and above can usually submit from October. Submit within the window, because a missed life certificate is the most common reason a pension is paused.
Can someone come home to do it for a bedridden pensioner?
Yes. India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) offers a doorstep service where a postman comes to the house to generate the DLC, usually for a small charge. Banks and Common Service Centres can also generate it.
I submitted my DLC but my pension still stopped. What do I do?
First confirm the Pension Disbursing Agency actually accepted the DLC, and that your Aadhaar is seeded with the pension account. If it is correct and the pension is still withheld, raise a grievance on CPGRAMS or the pensioners' portal; if the department still will not correct it, the dispute can go to the CAT or the High Court.
Can I track a pension dispute online?
Yes. If a withheld or reduced pension becomes a case before the Central Administrative Tribunal or the High Court, you can follow it by case number or party name. A free Claw account lets you track the next date and order sheet across courts and tribunals in one place.