Nearly 17.19 lakh social security pension beneficiaries in Bihar still have their life certification pending. The state government has set September 30, 2026, as the final deadline for completing life certification, failing which pension payments to the concerned beneficiaries may be affected.
The state government has been conducting campaigns for the life certification of pension beneficiaries for the past several months. Despite these efforts, verification for a large number of beneficiaries remains incomplete. The administration is now focusing on clearing the pending cases so that eligible elderly people, widowed women and persons with disabilities can continue receiving pension benefits.
A large number of people in Bihar receive monthly financial assistance under social security pension schemes. The current pension amount is Rs 1,100 per month, which is transferred directly to beneficiaries' bank accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). Completion of life certification is therefore an important part of the pension payment process.
The purpose of life certification is to ensure that pension benefits are being provided only to the correct and living beneficiary. The verification process also updates government records. The administration is now conducting special campaigns to complete verification for beneficiaries whose life certification is pending.
A large number of pension beneficiaries in Muzaffarpur district also have pending life certification. Verification for 1,03,144 beneficiaries in the district is reported to be pending. Mushahari block has the highest number of pending cases, at 13,633.
In view of the pending cases, District Magistrate Kumar Gaurav has directed all Block Development Officers to intensify the campaign by sending them block-wise lists. Special camps are also being prepared in the Muzaffarpur Municipal Corporation area to complete pending life certification.
Camps are to be organised across all 49 wards of the municipal corporation, with 98 personnel deployed for the exercise. Officials have been instructed to ensure that verification of all pending beneficiaries is completed by September 30.
At the state level, reports from 38 districts show that Patna has the highest number of pending life certifications, at around 1.37 lakh. Muzaffarpur ranks next, while around one lakh cases are still pending in Gaya Ji. In Sheikhpura, the number of pending cases is reported to be around 3,600.
The administration has directed officials to monitor the progress of camps at the block level on a daily basis.
Pension beneficiaries have been advised not to wait until the final date. Those who have not yet completed life certification can visit the nearest Common Service Centre (CSC) to complete the process. Facilities and information related to life certification are also available on the Bihar government's e-Labharthi portal.
Beneficiaries facing difficulties with online life certification are being provided access to camps arranged by the local administration. Such beneficiaries can contact personnel available at the block, panchayat or urban local body level. In some districts, physical verification is also being arranged through Vikas Mitras.
Officials have also been directed not to rely only on the online process. They have been asked to contact beneficiaries whose verification is pending and assist them in completing the process. This is particularly relevant for elderly and disabled beneficiaries who may face difficulties in completing verification.
Pending life certification may affect pension payments. The Bihar government's e-Labharthi portal also states that beneficiaries who have not yet completed life certification should complete the process as soon as possible at the nearest CSC centre. The portal advises beneficiaries to keep Aadhaar-related information and bank account seeding updated.
Beneficiaries should note that having an Aadhaar number and having Aadhaar seeded with a bank account are separate matters. If the Aadhaar seeding status of the bank account is not correct, pension payments may also face difficulties. Beneficiaries should therefore check their bank account and Aadhaar-related information along with completing life certification.
Bihar's social security pension schemes cover a large number of beneficiaries. These include the Mukhyamantri Vridhjan Pension Yojana, Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme, Widow Pension Scheme, Disability Pension Scheme and Laxmibai Social Security Pension. These schemes provide financial assistance to elderly people, widowed women and persons with disabilities.
The pension amount was changed last year. The Bihar government increased the monthly social security pension from Rs 400 to Rs 1,100. Millions of beneficiaries have been receiving the increased amount since then.
This year too, the government is transferring pension amounts to beneficiaries' bank accounts through DBT. In August, information emerged that the pension amount for July had been transferred to the accounts of more than 1 crore pension beneficiaries in the state.
For beneficiaries whose life certification has not yet been completed, September 30 is therefore the applicable deadline. Completing verification on time will keep records updated and reduce the possibility of interruption in pension payments.
The process is particularly important because many elderly and other beneficiaries depend on this financial assistance for their regular needs. The monthly amount of Rs 1,100 helps with medicines, food and other day-to-day expenses. Any disruption in payment caused by delayed verification could therefore create difficulties for beneficiaries.
The administration now has to complete more than 17 lakh pending cases by September 30. The exercise involves campaigns from the district level to the panchayat and ward levels. Officials are required to contact beneficiaries based on pending lists and organise camps wherever necessary to complete verification.
The decision to organise camps in 49 wards of Muzaffarpur is part of this effort. A total of 98 personnel have been deployed there to complete verification of as many pension beneficiaries as possible within the prescribed deadline.
For pension beneficiaries who have difficulty travelling or are unable to reach a CSC centre for any reason, assistance from the local administration will be important. Such beneficiaries can contact personnel of the concerned panchayat or urban local body. The administration is also working to provide special assistance to such beneficiaries in completing the process.
Beneficiaries should also avoid sharing their bank password, OTP or other confidential information with unknown persons. To prevent fraud in the name of life certification, the process should be completed only through authorised CSCs, government camps or concerned government personnel.
Pension beneficiaries can also check their beneficiary records and payment status on Bihar's official SSPMIS portal. The portal provides beneficiary status, scheme-related reports and other facilities.
If a beneficiary has completed life certification but the record does not show the update, the beneficiary should obtain the receipt and verification details from the concerned office or CSC and check the status. Resolving any technical or documentation-related issue in time can help prevent problems with pension payments later.
For more than 17.19 lakh pension beneficiaries in Bihar, September 30, 2026, is the deadline for completing pending life certification. Beneficiaries whose verification is still pending should complete the process as soon as possible, while the state government and district administrations are conducting special campaigns and camps to clear pending cases. Failure to complete life certification by the deadline may affect pension payments.
