Quick answer: Central government pensioners must submit their annual life certificate in November; those aged 80 or over could start from 1 October. The deadline is 30 November 2026. If it is missed, pension for December onwards is not paid until the certificate is submitted, after which it resumes with arrears. The fastest way is a face scan on your own phone using the Jeevan Pramaan and Aadhaar Face RD apps. Camps in 2,000 cities and districts are open throughout November under the government's fifth Digital Life Certificate campaign.
The Department of Pension and Pensioners' Welfare is running its largest life certificate drive so far, from 1 to 30 November 2026, with banks, post offices, pensioners' associations, EPFO, railways and the defence accounts department taking part. This guide explains who must submit, the step-by-step face-scan method, the other options if a scan fails, and exactly what happens if the certificate is late.
Campaign 5.0 at a glance
Last updated: 3 November 2026. Based on the PIB release of 30 October 2026 and the UIDAI FAQ on Digital Life Certificates.
| Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| Dates | 1 to 30 November 2026 |
| Coverage | Camps in 2,000 cities and districts |
| Target | 2.30 crore digital life certificates, 1.50 crore of them by face authentication |
| Partners | 19 banks, 785 district post offices, 56 pensioners' welfare associations, India Post Payments Bank, CGDA, Railways, DoT, EPFO, state governments, UIDAI and MeitY |
| Extras at camps | Health check-ups, Aadhaar updation and doorstep service where required |
| Guidelines | Department of Pension and Pensioners' Welfare OM dated 13 August 2026 |
Source: PIB release of 30 October 2026. The department has reported that the previous campaign, in November 2025, produced 1.54 crore digital life certificates.
Who must submit, and by when
- Central government pensioners and family pensioners below 80: submit between 1 and 30 November.
- Pensioners aged 80 and over: can submit from 1 October to 30 November. A certificate submitted on any of these dates stays valid until 30 November of the following year.
- Defence pensioners: can also use the digital life certificate.
- Re-employed pensioners and family pensioners who have remarried: cannot use face authentication. They must submit the life certificate in the conventional way to their bank or pension disbursing authority.
The life certificate is what keeps pension, including Dearness Relief, flowing. This year that matters more than usual: the increase in Dearness Relief to 63% from 1 July 2026 will be paid with arrears, and a lapsed certificate would hold it up along with the pension itself. See who gets the DA hike to 63%.
Before you start: four things to check
- Aadhaar is linked to the bank or post office account where your pension is credited. Without this, the digital certificate cannot be matched to your pension.
- Aadhaar and biometrics are not locked. A locked Aadhaar or locked biometrics will make the face scan fail.
- You have your pension details: PPO number, pension account number, type of pension, sanctioning authority and disbursing agency. If you generated a digital certificate last year, most of these fill in automatically.
- Your phone is up to it. The UIDAI FAQ asks for an Android phone on version 9 or later, a camera of at least 13 megapixels, 500 MB of free space and a working internet connection. The 2026 campaign release says face authentication now also works on iPhones.
How to submit by face scan at home
The process uses two official apps: Aadhaar Face RD from UIDAI, which runs the face check in the background, and Jeevan Pramaan, which generates the certificate. Install both from the official app store, then:
- 1. Register the operatorOpen Jeevan Pramaan and complete "Operator Authentication" with an Aadhaar number, mobile number and email, then enter the OTP. The operator can be the pensioner or a family member. This is done once, and one operator can generate certificates for several pensioners.
- 2. Scan the operator's faceEnter the name as in Aadhaar, allow camera access, read the instructions and complete the face scan.
- 3. Enter the pensioner's detailsOn "Pensioner Authentication", fill in the full name as in Aadhaar, type of pension, sanctioning authority, disbursing agency, PPO number and pension account number.
- 4. Scan the pensioner's faceThe app captures the pensioner's face. On success it shows a Pramaan ID. Note it down.
- 5. Confirm it reached your bankDownload the certificate from jeevanpramaan.gov.in using the Pramaan ID. Your bank receives it after a few days, not instantly, so check rather than assume.
If the face scan keeps failing
The UIDAI FAQ lists the usual reasons. Most are easy to fix:
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| Poor or uneven light | Face a window or a bright light; avoid light from behind |
| Busy or multi-coloured background | Sit in front of a plain wall |
| Face not still, side pose, wrong distance | Hold the phone at eye level, look straight at it, keep still |
| Not blinking | Blink naturally during the scan |
| More than one face in the frame | Only the person being scanned should be visible |
| Glasses differ from the Aadhaar photo | Wear glasses if your Aadhaar photo has them, and remove them if it does not |
| Aadhaar or biometrics locked | Unlock them before scanning |
| Slow internet | Move to a stronger connection or use Wi-Fi |
If it still fails, call the UIDAI helpline 1947 or email help@uidai.gov.in, or use one of the options below.
Other ways to submit
| Option | How it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| India Post Payments Bank doorstep service | A postman or Gramin Dak Sevak visits and generates the certificate; request through the Postinfo app. The UIDAI FAQ lists a fee of ₹70. | Pensioners without a suitable phone |
| Public sector banks' doorstep banking | Book through the Doorstep Banking app, the doorstep banking website or the toll-free numbers 18001213721 and 18001037188. The UIDAI FAQ lists a fee of ₹75. | Pensioners who cannot travel |
| Common Service Centres | Find the nearest centre on jeevanpramaan.gov.in, or SMS "JPL" followed by your PIN code to 7738299899 | Pensioners who prefer a fingerprint or iris scan |
| Campaign camps and bank branches | Visit a camp, your pension bank branch, a post office or a listed pensioners' association during November | Anyone who wants help in person |
| Paper life certificate | Submit the form in Annexure XIII of the CPAO scheme booklet at your bank or post office | Re-employed or remarried pensioners, or if all digital options fail |
The service fees above are as listed in the UIDAI FAQ; confirm the current charge when you book.
For a pensioner who is seriously ill or bedridden, the bank can be asked, with a medical certificate, to send an officer to the home or hospital to record the life certificate. The paper form can also be signed by specified officials, such as a gazetted officer, a magistrate, a postmaster or a village panchayat head, which exempts the pensioner from appearing in person.
What happens if you miss 30 November
- Pension for December onwards is not paid until a life certificate is recorded.
- Submit it any time after that and pension restarts with all arrears on the next payment date.
- If the gap is less than three years, the bank's central pension processing centre releases the arrears after verification.
- If the gap is three years or more, the pension case goes back to the Central Pension Accounting Office and needs fresh sanction from the competent authority before payment resumes. This takes much longer, so do not let a missed certificate run on.
Check what your pension should be. Work out Dearness Relief at the new 63% rate with the free DA calculator, or your monthly pension with the pension calculator. No app, no download, no login.
Frequently asked questions
Can my son or daughter submit the certificate on my phone?
A family member can act as the operator and handle the app, but the face scan that generates the certificate must be of the pensioner. One operator can generate certificates for several pensioners from the same phone.
I submitted my certificate in October because I am over 80. Do I need to submit again in November?
No. A certificate submitted from 1 October by a pensioner aged 80 or over is valid until 30 November of the following year.
Is the digital certificate compulsory?
No. The digital certificate is an additional option. A paper life certificate submitted at your bank or post office remains valid.
How do I know my bank has received it?
Download the certificate from jeevanpramaan.gov.in with your Pramaan ID to see its status. Banks receive digital certificates a few days after submission, so allow time and check before the end of November.
Related: who gets the DA hike to 63%, 8th Pay Commission for pensioners and 8th Pay Commission at one year.
Position as of 3 November 2026. Sources: PIB release of 30 October 2026 on Digital Life Certificate Campaign 5; UIDAI FAQs on Digital Life Certificate; CPAO Scheme Booklet, 2021, as cited in the UIDAI FAQ. App names, fees and phone requirements are as published by UIDAI and may change; check the app store and jeevanpramaan.gov.in. General information, not legal or financial advice.