Good news for pensioners: Now banks can't deny pension over Aadhaar, fingerprint authentication

New Delhi, April 11: The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has made it clear that banks cannot deny persons their monthly pension for not possessing an Aadhaar or due to wear and tear of fingerprints.

The EPFO in a circular to all heads of pension disbursing banks and postal services on Monday, listed out an alternate mechanism of handling pensioners who do not possess Aadhaar or those whose identity cannot be authenticated due to wear-out of fingerprints.

It asked banks to ensure that pensioners are facilitated for Aadhaar enrolment and a paper life certificate is accepted, in place of a digitally generated one, for pensioners who have enrolled for Aadhaar.

For those whose fingerprint wear-out has made authentication difficult, banks will make provisions for IRIS scanner along with the fingerprint scanner in bank branches, it said.

“Some complaints have been received from pensioners who are being turned away and denied pensions for want of Aadhaar or Aadhaar fingerprint authentication not being successful due to poor fingerprint of the beneficiary or due to network/connectivity or other technical reasons. Because of this, pensioners are not able to get and submit Jeevan Pramaan,” the circular said.

“After due verification through alternate identification documents as deemed necessary by the bank, pensions may be disbursed,” it said.

For giving pension to the pensioners whose fingerprint authentication fails for any reason, EPFO asked banks to may make provisions for IRIS scanner along with the fingerprint scanner in bank branches.