Upon death of pensioner, banks must convert joint accounts to single accounts: 35th SCOVA Discussion on New Agenda Items.
Seamless Bank Account Transition for Family Pensioners
Background: During the 35th SCOVA meeting on March 10, 2026, the Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare (DoP&PW) addressed a critical banking issue affecting surviving spouses of deceased pensioners.
The Problem
- Secondary Status: When a pensioner passes away, banks often fail to delete the deceased’s name from their joint account, leaving the surviving spouse listed as the “secondary” account holder.
- DLC Rejections: Because the bank’s primary account details no longer align with the surviving spouse’s identity, Digital Life Certificates (DLCs) are frequently rejected due to an Aadhaar card mismatch.
The Resolution
- Upgrade to Primary: The Department of Financial Services has reiterated that banks must strictly adhere to RBI and DOPPW guidelines. Upon the death of the pensioner, the joint account must be transitioned to a single account, treating the family pensioner as the primary account holder.
- Strict Compliance: Banks have assured full compliance with this procedure at all levels. Any specific deviations or failures to update the account will be met with immediate corrective action by the banks.
Details of discussion on Agenda Item 26 of 35th SCOVA:
[DoP&PW’s letter No. F, No.42/11/2023-P&PW(D)/E-9312 dated 04.05.2026]
Minutes of the meeting of 35th SCOVA held on 10.03.2026 under the Chairmanship of Hon’ble MOS (PP) at CSOI, KG Marg, New Delhi —reg.
NEW AGENDA ITEMS
| SL No. | Agenda Item | Discussion/Decision on the agenda item |
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Department of Financial Services (Banking Division) |
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| 22. | It is observed that on death of — pensioner having joint account with his spouse, family pension is paid to the spouse but the name of pensioner is not deleted from the bank account and the spouse is treated as secondary account holder and due to this procedure, many a times, DLCs of family pensioners get rejected due to Aadhar Card mismatch for want of update of record by the bank. Hence, it is requested that on the death of joint account holder pensioner, the joint account should be treated as single account. |
The Bank ensures compliance of the guidelines issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and DOPPW regarding the compliance of treating family pensioner as primary account holder at all levels. However, in case any specific observation or deviation is highlighted, the Bank will initiate corrective action without any delay. Hence, the item may be treated as closed. |
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Minutes of the meeting of 35th SCOVA held on 10.03.2026 under the Chairmanship of Hon’ble MOS (PP)
पारिवारिक पेंशनभोगियों के लिए बैंक खाते का सुचारू अंतरण
पृष्ठभूमि: 10 मार्च, 2026 को आयोजित 35वीं SCOVA (स्कोवा) बैठक के दौरान, पेंशन और पेंशनभोगी कल्याण विभाग (DoP&PW) ने दिवंगत पेंशनभोगियों के जीवित जीवनसाथी को प्रभावित करने वाली एक महत्वपूर्ण बैंकिंग समस्या पर विचार किया।
समस्या
- द्वितीयक (Secondary) दर्जा: जब किसी पेंशनभोगी का निधन हो जाता है, तो बैंक अक्सर उनके संयुक्त खाते से मृतक का नाम हटाने में विफल रहते हैं, जिससे जीवित जीवनसाथी “द्वितीयक” खाताधारक के रूप में दर्ज रह जाते हैं।
- DLC (जीवन प्रमाण पत्र) की अस्वीकृति: चूंकि बैंक के प्राथमिक खाते का विवरण जीवित जीवनसाथी की पहचान के साथ मेल नहीं खाता है, इसलिए आधार कार्ड बेमेल (mismatch) होने के कारण डिजिटल जीवन प्रमाण पत्र (DLC) अक्सर अस्वीकृत कर दिए जाते हैं।
समाधान
- प्राथमिक खाते में अपग्रेड: वित्तीय सेवाएं विभाग (DFS) ने दोहराया है कि बैंकों को भारतीय रिज़र्व बैंक (RBI) और DoP&PW के दिशानिर्देशों का कड़ाई से पालन करना चाहिए। पेंशनभोगी की मृत्यु होने पर, संयुक्त खाते को एकल खाते में बदल दिया जाना चाहिए, और पारिवारिक पेंशनभोगी को प्राथमिक खाताधारक माना जाना चाहिए।
- सख्त अनुपालन: बैंकों ने सभी स्तरों पर इस प्रक्रिया के पूर्ण अनुपालन का आश्वासन दिया है। खाते को अपडेट करने में किसी भी विशिष्ट विचलन या विफलता के मामले में बैंकों द्वारा तत्काल सुधारात्मक कार्रवाई की जाएगी।
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