Many bank accounts carry a small insurance deduction every year, usually without the account holder giving it much thought. That deduction is PMJJBY, PMSBY, or both: the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana and the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana, two of the most familiar government insurance schemes in India, with crores of bank account holders enrolled in one or both. Most people never think about the PMJJBY claim form until a claim actually needs to be filed.

When the account holder dies, that cover becomes a claim. The nominee has to find the right form, submit the right documents, and go to the right branch. PMJJBY and PMSBY ask for different things, and mixing them up only slows the claim down.

This blog covers the PMJJBY claim form, the PMSBY claim process, the documents each one needs, and what happens once a claim is submitted.

Key Highlights

• PMJJBY pays ₹2 lakh on death from any cause, for an annual premium the government currently sets at ₹436.

• PMSBY pays ₹2 lakh for accidental death or total disability, and ₹1 lakh for specified partial disability, for an annual premium of ₹20.

• Both schemes run on a savings account at a bank or post office, with the premium auto-debited each year between 1 June and 31 May.

• PMJJBY is open to people aged 18 to 50 at entry, with cover continuing until age 55. PMSBY is open from age 18 to 70.

• The nominee files the claim at the bank or post office branch where the deceased held the account, using the claim form supplied there.

• A PMSBY claim for accidental death needs extra documents, such as an FIR or panchnama and a post-mortem report, that a PMJJBY claim does not.

• If there’s no nominee on record, the legal heir can usually file the claim instead, or an appointee if the nominee was a minor.

What Do PMJJBY and PMSBY Actually Cover?

PMJJBY is a life insurance cover, renewed annually, and paid out on death, regardless of how the policyholder died. PMSBY is an accident cover, renewed annually and paid out only when death or disability results from an accident.

 Both run through the bank or post office where the account is held, with the Department of Financial Services overseeing PMJJBY, its PMSBY scheme page carrying the same detail for the accident cover, and empanelled insurers settling the claims.

Neither scheme asks for a medical exam at enrolment, and neither is linked to income or employment. 

For PMJJBY specifically, a death from a cause other than an accident within the first 30 days of a new enrolment, the lien period, isn’t claimable. If you’ve ever signed a form at your bank agreeing to an annual deduction for either of these, you were probably enrolling in one or both.

How Do You Get and File the PMJJBY Claim Form?

Filing a PMJJBY claim follows a clear process. Knowing each step in advance saves a trip to the branch and reduces the chance of missing a document.

Step 1: Visit the right branch. Go to the bank or post office branch where the deceased held the insured savings account. The claim cannot be filed at any other branch.

Step 2: Get the claim form. Ask for the PMJJBY claim form, often called a discharge-cum-claim form. The exact annexure number varies by bank, so ask the branch directly. Post office account holders can also check the current form on India Post's PMJJBY insurance page.

Step 3: Fill in the form and attach documents. The nominee fills in the form completely and attaches all required documents. Filling it in before visiting the branch, rather than at the counter, tends to save time. Some banks also host a downloadable version of the form on their own websites.

Step 4: Submit at the branch. The branch checks the file and forwards the verified claim to the life insurer tied to that bank's PMJJBY cover, typically LIC or another empanelled insurer.

Filling up the form available on the websites of the banks before visiting the branch, rather than at the counter, tends to save some time.

What Documents Does the Bank Ask for Under PMJJBY?

Since PMJJBY pays out on death from any cause, the document list stays short. 

The core of it is the signed claim form and the original death certificate. Alongside these, the branch will want the nominee’s own identity and bank account proof, the passbook or account statement showing the deceased held the insured account, and the nominee’s own passbook or a cancelled cheque so the payout can be credited.

There’s usually no need for a post-mortem report, FIR, or hospital discharge summary, unless the branch specifically asks for one to confirm the cause of death. Keep photocopies of everything you submit, since originals sometimes go into the insurer’s file.

Once the branch has the full set, it checks the claim against basic policy conditions: mainly the age at which the deceased joined, whether premiums were paid up to date, and whether the death falls outside the 30-day lien period for a new enrolment. If everything lines up, the claim moves to the insurer for settlement.

What Is the PMSBY Claim Process for an Accidental Death?

A PMSBY claim starts the same way as PMJJBY, at the branch holding the account, but it asks for more documents because the payout depends on the death being accidental. Notifying the bank as soon as possible after the accident tends to make the rest of the process move faster, and post office account holders can check the same checklist on India Post’s PMSBY insurance page.

The usual documents for a PMSBY death claim are the claim form signed by the claimant, the death certificate or hospital discharge summary, an FIR or panchnama, a post-mortem report, and the nominee’s KYC proof and bank account details.

Accidents such as road, rail, or vehicular deaths, drowning, or crime-related deaths must be reported to the police. Something like a snakebite or a fall, where a post-mortem isn’t standard, can be supported with hospital records instead. For permanent disability, a certificate from a civil surgeon at a government hospital takes the place of a death certificate. Suicide is not covered, murder is, and only one claim is payable per insured person.

What Documents and Timelines Apply to a PMSBY Claim?

Along with the cause-of-death documents above, a PMSBY claim also needs the first two pages of the claimant’s passbook (or a cancelled cheque) and a signed discharge receipt. For a disability claim, the insured person files it themselves, since they’re the one still able to. Neither government source lists an exact number of days for settlement, so it’s worth asking the branch for their expected timeline when you submit the claim, rather than assuming a fixed one. 

What’s consistent across both schemes is that a complete file moves faster than one the branch has to send back for missing documents, so it helps to ask for a full checklist upfront rather than submitting piecemeal.

What Happens When There Is No Nominee on Record?

If the deceased never named a nominee, the claim typically goes to the legal heir instead, supported by a legal heir certificate or a succession certificate depending on the amount involved and the bank’s own internal rules. If the nominee was a minor at the time, an appointee named in the records files the claim on the child’s behalf.

This is exactly the gap a Will closes. A nominee collects the payout, but a Will decides who actually owns that money once it reaches the family, and it avoids the extra paperwork of proving legal heirship from scratch. AasaanWill’s blog on nominee vs. legal heir covers this distinction in more detail, and AasaanWill helps families record nominations clearly alongside a Will, so a claim like this doesn’t turn into a second round of documentation.

What Happens After the Claim Is Submitted

Once the branch has a complete file, the claim moves through a few checks before it’s settled, and it helps to know what happens at each stage.

1. Branch-level verification. The branch confirms the policy was active at the time of death, premiums were paid up to date, and the claim form, signatures, and attached documents match the account records. Any mismatch triggers a request for clarification or a supporting affidavit.

2. Insurer review. The branch forwards the verified file to the insurer, who can come back with its own queries. It helps to leave a working phone number on the claim form.

3. Payout or rejection. If approved, the payout is credited to the nominee’s listed account. If rejected, the insurer has to give a reason in writing.

4. Escalation, if needed. A nominee who disagrees can raise it with the bank’s grievance cell, then the insurer’s grievance officer, then the Insurance Ombudsman or IRDAI’s Integrated Grievance Management System.

How AasaanWill Helps

Nominations and death claims go more smoothly when the right documents and records are already in place. AasaanWill helps families stay ahead of this. Our team assists with:

• Recording and keeping nominations updated across every bank, post office, and insurance account you hold

• Will drafting that spells out how a payout like this should eventually be shared among your family

• Guidance on the legal heir or succession certificate route when there’s no nominee on record

• Help setting up a registered Will and keeping an inventory of your accounts and policies in one place

AasaanWill can help you get your nominations and Will in order today.

Conclusion

PMJJBY and PMSBY are small, inexpensive covers that still demand the right form and the right paperwork at the right branch, and most of the confusion nominees face comes down to not knowing which document applies to which scheme. Knowing the difference between a PMJJBY claim, which needs very little beyond a death certificate, and a PMSBY claim, which needs proof the death was accidental, saves a family real time during an already difficult week.

Beyond the claim itself, it’s worth checking who’s named as a nominee on every account you hold. AasaanWill’s blog on what happens to your bank accounts when you die covers the account side of that question in more detail, and making sure a Will covers how a payout like this should eventually be shared matters just as much. AasaanWill can help you put both of those in place, so your own family isn’t working this out for the first time after you’re gone.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is PMJJBY?

PMJJBY, the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana, is a government-backed one-year life insurance cover of ₹2 lakh, linked to a savings account, renewed annually, and paid out on death from any cause.

2. What is PMSBY?

PMSBY, the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana, is a one-year accident insurance cover linked to a savings account. It pays ₹2 lakh for accidental death or total disability, and ₹1 lakh for specified partial disability.

3. Where do I get the PMJJBY claim form?

The PMJJBY claim form, often called a discharge-cum-claim form, is available at the bank or post office branch where the deceased held the insured savings account.

4. What is the PMSBY claim process for an accidental death?

Notify the bank promptly, collect the claim form, and submit it with the death certificate, FIR or panchnama, post-mortem report, and the nominee’s KYC and bank details. The branch forwards it to the insurer for settlement.

5. Who is eligible to join PMJJBY and PMSBY?

PMJJBY covers people aged 18 to 50 at entry, with cover continuing to age 55. PMSBY covers people aged 18 to 70. Both require an active savings account with auto-debit consent for the premium.

6. What documents does a PMJJBY death claim need?

The signed claim form, the original death certificate, the nominee’s identity and bank account proof, and the account passbook showing the deceased was the policyholder are generally sufficient, since cause of death isn’t usually a factor.

7. What documents does a PMSBY death claim need?

Beyond the claim form and death certificate, PMSBY needs proof the death was accidental, typically an FIR or panchnama and a post-mortem report, along with the nominee’s KYC, bank details, and a signed discharge receipt.

8. What is the difference between PMJJBY and PMSBY?

PMJJBY is a life cover paying out on death from any cause. PMSBY is an accident cover paying out only for accidental death or disability, and it needs more documents to establish that the death was accidental.

9. Who can file the claim if there’s no nominee?

The legal heir can usually file the claim, supported by a legal heir or succession certificate depending on the bank’s rules and the claim amount. If the nominee was a minor, the registered appointee files on their behalf.

10. How long does a PMJJBY or PMSBY death claim process take?

Neither scheme’s official page sets out one fixed number of days. In practice, a complete file with all documents attached moves faster than one the branch has to send back, so ask the branch for their expected timeline when you submit the claim.

11. Can a claim still be paid if the account had an insufficient balance for the premium?

If the premium wasn’t successfully auto-debited and the cover had lapsed before the death, the claim can be rejected on those grounds. This is why it helps to check the account balance around the annual renewal date each year.

12. What is the difference between a nominee and a legal heir for these claims?

A nominee is the person authorised to receive the payout on the bank’s or insurer’s records. A legal heir is the person the law says actually owns that money afterward. The two aren’t always the same person, which is why a Will still matters.

13. Can the same person hold both PMJJBY and PMSBY on one account?

Yes. Most savings account holders who enrol in these schemes are signed up for both at the same time, with two separate premiums auto-debited from the same account each year.

14. Does marriage or a new bank account affect an existing PMJJBY or PMSBY nomination?

It can. A nomination is tied to a specific account, so moving banks or wanting to update who’s named means visiting that branch and filing a fresh nomination form. It doesn’t update automatically.

Disclaimer: This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The information presented reflects the law as of the date of publication. For advice on your specific situation, please consult a qualified advocate.

“Sort out your nominations and your Will before your family ever has to ask these questions. Get started with AasaanWill today.”