The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) has introduced the ‘UPS Jeewan Setu – Digital Life Certificate (DLC)’ facility for pensioners covered under the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS).
According to the PFRDA circular released on Friday, 30 October 2026, “the UPS Jeevan Setu – Digital Life Certificate (DLC), a mobile application-based facility, has been enabled for pensioners under the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) to conveniently generate and submit their Digital Life Certificates through Aadhaar-based authentication.”
“The facility is available through NPS by Protean eGov mobile application,” it added. Here are the key details you need to know about this new facility.
What is the Digital Life Certificate facility for UPS pensioners?
A Digital Life Certificate (DLC) is an electronically generated certificate used to establish that a pensioner is alive and eligible to continue receiving pension payments. Under the new UPS Jeewan Setu facility, pensioners can complete this process using their Aadhaar details and face authentication through the NPS by Protean eGov App.
Explaining the objective of the initiative, PFRDA stated in its circular, “The facility has been introduced with the objective of simplifying the submission of Life Certificates, enhancing accessibility and facilitating timely compliance by eligible UPS pensioners.”
What is the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS)?
The Unified Pension Scheme (UPS), effective April 1, 2025, is a pension scheme under the National Pension System (NPS) for eligible Central Government employees.
It provides an assured pension of 50% of the average basic pay drawn during the last 12 months immediately prior to superannuation, subject to at least 25 years of qualifying service. Employees with 10–25 years of service receive a proportionate payout, with a minimum assured pension of ₹10,000 per month after 10 years of qualifying service.
Unlike a one-time compliance requirement, the Life Certificate submission is an annual exercise. The new digital facility is expected to make this process more accessible and convenient for UPS pensioners.
How can UPS pensioners generate and submit their Digital Life Certificate?
According to the procedure outlined in the circular, pensioners can generate their DLC through the mobile application by following these steps:
What is the deadline to submit the Digital Life Certificate?
PFRDA has specifically stated that UPS pensioners are required to submit their Digital Life Certificates every year by 30 November.
The circular states, “All pensioners under the UPS are required to submit their DLCs annually by 30 November to ensure uninterrupted continuation of their monthly assured payouts.”
Timely submission is important because the Life Certificate serves as proof of continued eligibility for pension payouts.
Disclaimer: This is for informational purposes only. Please visit the official website for the latest updates.