Large text, simple steps
Senior citizen corner
Monthly income from SCSS, post office MIS and annuities, the pension you need, and the life certificate from home, in large text. Your numbers stay on this device.
Last updated: Reviewed by IndiaDigital editorsSources
Helplines
- Elderline: help for senior citizens (pension, legal, abuse, emotional support), 8 am to 8 pm14567
- Emergency: police, fire, ambulance112
- Cyber fraud: money taken by a call, link or UPI. Call at once.1930
- Jeevan Pramaan (life certificate) helpdesk1800 111 555
No bank, pension office or police officer will ask for your OTP, PIN or to move money to a "safe account". "Digital arrest" is always a scam.
SCSS income
Senior Citizens Savings Scheme · 8.2% · Oct–Dec 2026
Every quarter you get
₹30,750
About ₹10,250 a month · ₹6,15,000 in 5 years
Post office monthly income
POMIS · 7.4% · Oct–Dec 2026
Every month you get
₹5,550
for 5 years, then your deposit comes back
Annuity (pension plan)
Pension every month, for life
₹11,667
Annuity income is taxable. Rates are lower if the purchase price is returned to your nominee. Compare quotes from at least three insurers.
How much savings do I need?
You need about
₹75,93,554
First month’s expense then: ₹30,000
Life certificate (Jeevan Pramaan) from home
Pensioners give a life certificate once a year so the pension keeps coming. Central government pensioners give it in November; those aged 80 or more can give it from 1 October.
With your phone (face scan)
- On an Android phone, install "AadhaarFaceRD" (by UIDAI) and "Jeevan Pramaan Face App" from the Play Store.
- Keep ready: Aadhaar number, mobile number, PPO (pension payment order) number, and bank or post office account where pension comes.
- Open the app, fill the details, and let it scan your face in good light. A family member can hold the phone.
- You get an SMS with your Jeevan Pramaan ID. Your bank or pension office receives the certificate directly.
Other ways
- At a Jeevan Pramaan centre (CSC, bank or government office) with a fingerprint. Find one by sending your PIN code by SMS to 7738299899.
- At your bank branch or post office, in person, on paper.
- At home through India Post Payments Bank: the postman can do it at your door (a small fee may apply).
How it works
- SCSS and POMIS use the rates the Ministry of Finance notified for October to December 2026: SCSS 8.2% a year paid every quarter, POMIS 7.4% paid every month. Rates are reset every quarter.
- SCSS: open at a post office or an authorised bank at 60 (55 to 60 for some retired employees), up to ₹30 lakh, for 5 years, extendable by 3 years. Interest is taxable; deposits count under section 123 in the old regime.
- Annuity: an insurer pays a fixed pension for life from a lump sum. Quoted rates differ by insurer, age and option (with or without return of purchase price), so compare quotes.
- Pension need: works out the corpus that pays today’s monthly expense, rising with inflation, for the years you choose.
Questions people ask
What is the SCSS interest rate now?
8.2% a year for October to December 2026, paid quarterly on 1 April, 1 July, 1 October and 1 January. The rate is fixed for your whole 5-year deposit once you open it.
How do I submit my life certificate from home?
Use the Jeevan Pramaan face authentication app with Aadhaar, or ask for a doorstep visit by India Post Payments Bank or the doorstep banking service. Central government pensioners usually submit in November; those aged 80 and above can submit from 1 October.
Is SCSS interest tax-free?
No. It is added to your income. Senior citizens can claim up to ₹50,000 of deposit interest as a deduction in the old regime (section 153 of the Income-tax Act, 2025), and in the new regime income up to ₹12 lakh has no tax after the rebate.
Can I open SCSS jointly?
Yes, only with your spouse. The ₹30 lakh limit applies per person across all your SCSS accounts.
Sources
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