Government-sponsored insurance scheme
PMJJBY: Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana — Complete Guide
Understand PMJJBY eligibility, premium, life cover, the 30-day lien period, renewal, exclusions and the claim process — before you enrol, and before your family needs it.
- ₹436 a year
- ₹2 lakh life cover
- Through your bank or post office
What is PMJJBY?
Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana is a Government of India one-year term life insurance scheme, renewable annually, offering ₹2 lakh on the death of the subscriber from any cause. Any individual account holder of a participating bank or post office aged 18 to 50 can join for a premium of ₹436 a year, auto-debited from that account. Cover runs from 1 June to 31 May.
- Who is eligible for PMJJBY?
- Individual account holders — single or joint — of participating banks and post offices, aged 18 to 50 at entry. Cover can be renewed until age 55. Institutional account holders are not eligible. NRIs with an eligible account at a bank branch in India may join, with any claim paid in Indian currency.
- What is the PMJJBY premium?
- ₹436 per subscriber per year. Those joining part-way through the cover year pay a pro-rata amount: ₹436 for June–August, ₹342 for September–November, ₹228 for December–February and ₹114 for March–May. The full ₹436 applies at every renewal.
- How much cover does PMJJBY give?
- ₹2,00,000, payable to the nominee on the member's death. There is no maturity value, no surrender value and no payout if you survive the term.
- Does PMJJBY cover accidental death?
- Yes. It covers death from any cause, which includes illness, accident, natural calamities such as earthquake and flood, and — as the Department of Financial Services states explicitly — suicide and murder. This is a common point of confusion, since PMSBY covers only accidents.
- Is there a waiting period?
- Yes. For a first-time enrolment or a re-enrolment, cover is not available for death from any cause other than accident during the first 30 days from the date of enrolment. Accidental death is covered from the date the premium is auto-debited.
- Is PMJJBY an investment?
- No. It is pure term insurance with no investment component. Paying the premium for ten years does not build a corpus and returns nothing if you survive. That is precisely why the cover costs ₹436 rather than thousands.
- Can PMJJBY replace term insurance?
- No. ₹2 lakh will not replace an earning member's income or clear a home loan. PMJJBY is best understood as an inexpensive additional layer on top of adequate term cover, not as a substitute for it.
At a glance
PMJJBY quick facts
Verified against the Department of Financial Services scheme FAQ on 8 August 2026. Premium, cover and rules are set by government notification and may be revised.
Tool
PMJJBY eligibility checker
An educational check against the published scheme rules. Answer four questions and the result updates instantly.
Your details
Entry is permitted between 18 and 50. Existing members may renew until 55.
Determines the pro-rata premium for the first cover year only.
Result
—
Educational eligibility check only. Final eligibility is determined under the prevailing PMJJBY rules and by the participating institution and insurer.
Read this first
The 30-day lien period explained
Cover is not complete from day one
For a first-time enrolment — and for anyone re-joining after leaving — insurance cover is not available for death from any cause other than accident during the first 30 days from the date of enrolment. If a non-accidental death occurs in that window, no claim is admissible.
Accidental death is covered from the date the premium is auto-debited, with no 30-day wait. So the lien affects death from illness and natural causes, not accidents.
The practical lesson: enrol before you need it, not when a health concern appears. A lapse followed by re-joining restarts this 30-day clock, which is a good reason to keep the account funded rather than let cover drop.
Coverage
What PMJJBY covers — and what it does not
Covered
- Death from any cause — the scheme is not restricted to particular causes
- Illness and natural death, after the 30-day lien period
- Accidental death, from the date of premium debit
- Natural calamities — the DFS FAQ names earthquake, flood and other convulsions of nature
- Suicide and murder — the DFS FAQ states these are covered, since the scheme covers death due to any reason
- Cover is in addition to any other insurance you already hold
Not covered / conditions apply
- Non-accidental death within the first 30 days of enrolment or re-enrolment
- Death after cover has lapsed — through account closure or a failed auto-debit
- Death after age 55 (nearest birthday), when cover terminates
- Duplicate cover — if premium is collected on more than one account, the claim is still restricted to ₹2 lakh and the extra premium is liable to be forfeited
- Survival — there is no maturity benefit, no surrender value and no return of premium
- Institutional account holders are not eligible to subscribe
On suicide: many articles state that PMJJBY excludes it. The Department of Financial Services FAQ answers this directly and says natural calamities, suicide and murder are all covered, because PMJJBY covers death due to any reason. Note that PMSBY, the accident scheme, is different — it covers accidents only. If this point matters to your situation, confirm it with the participating bank and insurer, since scheme terms can be revised.
Getting covered
How to enrol, and how renewal works
Hold an eligible account
An individual or joint savings account at a participating bank or post office. Institutional accounts do not qualify.
Confirm your age
Entry is 18 to 50. Beyond 50 you cannot join for the first time, even though existing members renew to 55.
Submit the consent-cum-declaration form
This is the enrolment form and the auto-debit authorisation together. The bank or post office retains it, and the insurer may ask for it at claim time.
Nominate someone
The benefit is payable only to the nominee. Getting this right at enrolment saves the family considerable difficulty later.
Let the premium be debited
Risk cover starts from the date of auto-debit, subject to the 30-day lien for non-accidental death.
Keep the balance topped up each May
Renewal is automatic only if the money is there. Insufficient balance means cover simply stops.
Confirm it went through
Check the passbook or statement for the debit entry each year. Do not assume it happened.
On enrolment channels: many banks allow enrolment through net banking, a mobile app or SMS, and post offices enrol at the counter. Availability differs between institutions — do not assume every bank offers the same digital route. Some banks require joint-account holders to enrol at the branch.
Documents and information needed
- Eligible bank or post office account details
- Aadhaar as the primary KYC document
- Nominee name and details
- Signed consent-cum-declaration and auto-debit form
- Any further documents under current KYC norms
Exact requirements may vary by participating institution and current KYC rules.
When cover stops
- On attaining age 55, nearest birthday
- Closure of the designated account
- Insufficient balance to keep the insurance in force
- Where cover was duplicated, the excess is restricted and extra premium forfeited
Rejoining after a lapse
- Permitted in future years on paying the appropriate premium
- The 30-day lien applies again from the new enrolment date
- No fresh entry at all once you pass 50
A lapse at 51 cannot be undone — which makes the annual balance check more consequential than it looks.
Common error
Can you enrol through more than one bank account?
No. Where a person holds accounts at several banks or post offices, they may join the scheme through one account only. Enrolling twice does not double the cover.
If premium is nevertheless collected on more than one account, the position under the scheme is clear: the insurance cover stays restricted to ₹2 lakh, and the premium paid for the duplicate cover is liable to be forfeited. In other words, the second premium buys nothing at all.
This happens more often than you would expect, usually when someone ticks the box during a bank visit having forgotten they already enrolled elsewhere years ago. If you suspect duplication, ask each bank whether a PMJJBY debit is running on your account and cancel the extra one.
For the nominee
PMJJBY claim process, step by step
The claim is made by the nominee, at the bank or post office where the member was enrolled — not directly with the insurer.
Death of the insured member
Obtain the death certificate from the competent authority. Nothing else can proceed without it.
Nominee approaches the bank or post office
Specifically the branch holding the account through which PMJJBY was taken. The institution is the master policyholder for the scheme.
Obtain and complete the claim form
The claim form and discharge receipt are available at the branch and on the Jan Suraksha portal.
Submit the documents
Death certificate, nominee identification and the nominee's bank account details for the payout. See the checklist below.
The institution verifies
The bank or post office confirms the member's enrolment, that the premium was debited and that cover was in force on the date of death, then forwards the claim.
The insurer processes it
LIC or the participating life insurer assesses the claim against the scheme terms, including the lien period where relevant.
₹2 lakh is paid to the nominee
Credited to the nominee's account. For an NRI member, the benefit is paid to the nominee in Indian currency.
Claim document checklist
Tick items off as you gather them. This runs entirely in your browser and nothing is saved.
0 of 7 gathered
Requirements are not identical everywhere — the participating bank or post office and the insurer may ask for more or fewer documents depending on circumstances. Confirm the current list with the branch rather than assuming this covers it.
How long does a claim take?
There is no single published figure that applies in every case. Processing depends on how complete the documents are, verification by the bank or post office and then assessment by the insurer. Incomplete paperwork is the most common cause of delay. Ask the branch for the current expected timeline when you file, and keep an acknowledgement of what you submitted.
If the nominee has died
The benefit is payable to the nominee, so if no valid nomination subsists the claim becomes considerably harder and the institution will ask for legal succession documentation. This is exactly why nomination details should be reviewed periodically. Arthzo cannot advise on succession — take the specific situation to the bank and, if needed, to a qualified legal professional.
Who receives the money?
Only the nominee. Unlike a savings product, there is no maturity payment to the member and no surrender value. Because the benefit accrues solely to the nominee, keeping that nomination current is the single most valuable piece of admin in the whole scheme.
Compare
PMJJBY compared
PMJJBY vs PMSBY
These are the two most confused schemes in the Jan Suraksha set. One is life insurance, the other is accident insurance. They are not alternatives.
| Feature | PMJJBY | PMSBY |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Term life insurance | Personal accident insurance |
| Annual premium | ₹436 | ₹20 |
| Entry age | 18–50 | 18–70 |
| Death benefit | ₹2 lakh, any cause | ₹2 lakh, accidental death only |
| Disability benefit | None | ₹2 lakh total, ₹1 lakh partial |
| Accident required? | No | Yes |
| Cover period | 1 June – 31 May, renewable | 1 June – 31 May, renewable |
| Main purpose | Basic life cover for the family | Accident death and disability cover |
Can you have both? Yes — they address different risks and together cost ₹456 a year. Holding both is common and sensible for an eligible account holder. It is still not a complete insurance solution: neither covers hospitalisation, and neither replaces adequate term cover or health insurance.
PMJJBY vs term insurance
| Feature | PMJJBY | Term insurance |
|---|---|---|
| Nature | Government-sponsored scheme | Commercial insurance policy |
| Premium | Flat ₹436, regardless of age | Depends on age, cover, health, habits |
| Cover amount | Fixed at ₹2 lakh | Chosen by you, often ₹50 lakh or more |
| Underwriting | Scheme rules, no medical test | Insurer underwriting, often medicals |
| Tenure | One year, renewable to 55 | Long, often to 60–75 |
| Flexibility | Limited — fixed terms | Riders, cover levels, payout options |
| Purpose | Basic additional protection | Replacing an income, clearing liabilities |
PMJJBY does not replace term insurance and is not intended to. Think of it as an inexpensive extra layer sitting on top of proper cover — genuinely useful, and genuinely insufficient on its own.
PMJJBY vs personal accident insurance
A commercial personal accident policy covers accidental death and a graded scale of disability, often with higher sums insured and add-ons such as hospital cash or temporary total disablement. PMJJBY covers death from any cause but nothing for disability at all. If disability cover is your concern, PMJJBY is the wrong instrument — PMSBY or a commercial accident policy addresses it.
PMJJBY vs a savings account or FD
These are not comparable and should not be weighed against each other. An FD is a savings product: you get your money back with interest. PMJJBY is protection: you get nothing back, and in exchange your family receives ₹2 lakh if you die during the cover year. Asking which "gives better returns" misunderstands what insurance is for. A household generally needs both.
PMJJBY is insurance, not an investment
This is the single most common misunderstanding about the scheme, and it causes real disappointment.
Paying ₹436 a year for ten years does not create a corpus of ₹4,360 that comes back to you. It does not mature. It has no surrender value. Each year's premium buys one year of protection, and when that year ends the protection ends with it — exactly like the premium on a motor policy.
The Department of Financial Services puts it plainly: PMJJBY is a pure term insurance policy covering mortality only, with no investment component, and the pricing is low precisely because the investment element has been eliminated. That is a feature, not a defect. Bundling savings into insurance is what makes other products expensive.
The right question is not "what will I get back?" but "is my family covered if I am not here?" If you want your money to grow, that is a separate job for a separate product — a deposit, a PPF account or a market-linked investment.
Bigger picture
Where PMJJBY fits in family financial protection
Each layer does a different job. PMJJBY is a useful and very cheap layer, but it sits fourth, not first.
Why PMJJBY alone may not be enough
Consider what ₹2 lakh has to cover if an earning member dies: a home loan balance, perhaps a personal loan, children's education, the household's monthly expenses, dependent parents, and eventually retirement for the surviving spouse. Against a home loan alone, ₹2 lakh rarely covers even a year of EMIs.
That is not an argument against PMJJBY — at ₹436 it is among the cheapest cover available anywhere. It is an argument against treating it as the whole answer. Work out what your family would actually need, then check how much of that gap PMJJBY closes.
Situations
Four illustrative situations
Constructed examples for explanation. They are not real people or real claims.
A young salaried person, 26, no dependants
Nobody currently depends on this income, so large cover is not yet essential. At ₹436, PMJJBY is a sensible first step that also locks in the habit before dependants arrive — and enrolling early means the 30-day lien is long past by the time it matters.
A parent, 38, two children and a home loan
Here ₹2 lakh is visibly inadequate. The home loan alone might run to ₹30 lakh, with two educations still to fund. PMJJBY is worth holding, but the substantive need is proper term cover sized to the liabilities. Treating PMJJBY as the family's life insurance would be a serious error.
Someone who already has ₹1 crore term cover
PMJJBY still adds ₹2 lakh for ₹436, and cover under the scheme is expressly in addition to any other insurance held. It is a small top-up rather than a decision requiring much thought — worth taking, not worth agonising over.
Holding PMJJBY and PMSBY together
₹456 a year in total. If death is from illness, PMJJBY responds and PMSBY does not. If death is accidental, both may respond. If an accident causes permanent disability but not death, only PMSBY pays — PMJJBY has no disability benefit at all. That is the practical difference between the two.
Someone aged 52 who let cover lapse
Existing members renew to 55, but fresh entry is not possible beyond 50. Having let cover drop at 51, this person cannot rejoin. It is a reminder that the annual balance check in May carries more weight than the small sum involved suggests.
Someone enrolled through two banks
Cover remains ₹2 lakh — it does not become ₹4 lakh — and the duplicate premium is liable to be forfeited. The second enrolment buys nothing. Worth checking your statements if you have opened accounts at several banks over the years.
Assessment
Advantages and limitations
Advantages
- Very low cost — ₹436 a year for ₹2 lakh of life cover
- No medical examination required to enrol
- Covers death from any cause, not a restricted list
- Simple, uniform structure with no product variants to compare
- Widely accessible through banks and post offices across India
- Cover is expressly in addition to any other insurance you hold
- Renewal is automatic while the account is funded
Limitations
- ₹2 lakh is small relative to most families' actual needs
- Entry closes at 50 and cover ends at 55, when need often persists
- Cover lapses silently if the account balance is short
- The 30-day lien applies to every fresh enrolment and re-enrolment
- No disability benefit of any kind
- No maturity value, surrender value or return of premium
- Premium and scheme terms can be revised by notification
- Only one account may be used — duplicates are forfeited, not doubled
Ten common PMJJBY mistakes
- Treating it as an investment. Nothing comes back on survival. There is no maturity benefit.
- Assuming it replaces term insurance. ₹2 lakh will not clear a home loan or replace an income.
- Letting the account balance run short in May. A failed auto-debit ends the cover quietly.
- Never checking that the renewal debit went through. Look for the entry in the passbook each year.
- Leaving nominee details out of date. The benefit is payable to the nominee and nobody else.
- Not knowing about the 30-day lien. Non-accidental death in that window is not covered.
- Enrolling through two banks. Cover stays at ₹2 lakh and the extra premium is liable to be forfeited.
- Assuming enrolment is permanent. Cover terminates at 55 and on account closure.
- Keeping no record of enrolment. The family should know the scheme exists and which account carries it.
- Assuming every death produces a claim automatically. The nominee has to file it, with documents.
Tax
PMJJBY tax considerations
The premium is a life insurance premium, so it generally falls within the ₹1.5 lakh deduction for specified savings and payments. From 1 April 2026 that deduction is Section 123 read with Schedule XV of the Income-tax Act, 2025, which replaced Section 80C of the 1961 Act. Any source still citing 80C for the current year is out of date.
Two caveats matter more than the deduction itself:
- Old regime only. The Section 123 deduction is unavailable under the new tax regime, which is the default. Most people on the new regime get no deduction for this premium.
- ₹436 is a rounding error in a ₹1.5 lakh limit. If you already contribute to PPF, EPF or life insurance, that ceiling is likely full. Enrol in PMJJBY for the cover, not for the tax.
On the payout side, death proceeds from a pure term life policy are generally exempt in the hands of the nominee. Since the treatment of insurance proceeds has been revised more than once in recent years, and section numbering changed with the 2025 Act, confirm the current position before relying on it.
Tax rules may change. Verify current tax provisions, or consult a qualified tax professional, before making a decision on tax grounds.
Related schemes
PMJJBY and the wider government scheme ecosystem
Watch
PMJJBY explained in simple language
Who can join, what ₹436 actually buys, the 30-day lien period, and how the nominee claims.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What is the full form of PMJJBY?
Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana — a Government of India one-year renewable term life insurance scheme under the Jan Suraksha umbrella, administered by the Department of Financial Services through LIC and other life insurers in partnership with banks and post offices.
Who is eligible for PMJJBY?
Individual account holders, single or joint, of participating banks and post offices, aged 18 to 50 at entry. Institutional account holders are not eligible. On a joint account, all holders may join if each satisfies the criteria and pays the premium. NRIs with an eligible account at a bank branch in India may join, with any claim paid in Indian currency.
What is the PMJJBY premium?
₹436 per subscriber per year, auto-debited in one instalment. First-time enrolment part-way through the cover year attracts a pro-rata premium: ₹436 for June–August, ₹342 for September–November, ₹228 for December–February and ₹114 for March–May. Renewals are always charged the full ₹436.
How much life cover does PMJJBY provide?
₹2,00,000, payable to the nominee on the subscriber's death due to any cause, subject to the scheme terms including the 30-day lien period on fresh enrolments.
What is the PMJJBY age limit?
Entry between 18 and 50 years. Cover can be renewed annually up to age 55, nearest birthday, after which the assurance terminates. Entry is not possible beyond 50 even though existing members continue to 55.
Does PMJJBY cover accidental death?
Yes. PMJJBY covers death due to any cause, which includes accidental death. Accidental death is also the one category covered during the 30-day lien period, when non-accidental death is not.
Does PMJJBY cover suicide or murder?
The Department of Financial Services FAQ addresses this directly and states that natural calamities such as earthquake and flood, as well as suicide and murder, are covered, because the scheme covers death due to any reason. Many articles claim otherwise. Since scheme terms can be revised, confirm with the participating bank and insurer if this point is material to you.
What is the PMJJBY waiting or lien period?
Thirty days from the date of enrolment, applying to first-time enrolments and re-enrolments. During that window, death from any cause other than accident is not covered and no claim is admissible. Accidental death is covered from the date the premium is auto-debited.
What happens if the premium is not deducted?
Cover lapses. Insufficiency of balance to keep the insurance in force is an express ground on which the assurance terminates, as is closure of the account. There is no grace built into the scheme, so the balance must be there when the debit is attempted — usually around late May.
Can I rejoin PMJJBY after leaving?
Yes, in future years on payment of the appropriate premium — provided you are still within the entry age of 50. The 30-day lien for non-accidental death applies again from the new enrolment date.
Can PMJJBY be taken through more than one bank account?
No. A person holding multiple accounts may join through one account only. If premium is inadvertently collected on more than one, cover remains restricted to ₹2 lakh and the premium paid for the duplicate is liable to be forfeited.
Who receives the PMJJBY claim amount?
The nominee. PMJJBY covers death only, so the benefit accrues solely to the nominee — there is no maturity benefit or surrender value payable to the member. Keeping nomination details current is therefore essential.
What is the PMJJBY claim process?
The nominee approaches the bank or post office branch where the member was enrolled, obtains and completes the claim form, and submits it with the death certificate, identification and account details for the payout. The institution verifies enrolment and premium payment, forwards the claim to the insurer, and the insurer settles it to the nominee.
How long does a PMJJBY claim take?
It depends on how complete the documentation is, verification by the participating institution and processing by the insurer. There is no universally applicable guaranteed timeline, and incomplete documents are the most common cause of delay. Ask the branch for the expected timeline when filing and keep an acknowledgement.
Is PMJJBY an investment?
No. It is pure term insurance covering mortality only, with no investment component — which is exactly why the premium is so low. There is no maturity benefit, no surrender value and no return of premium if the member survives.
Can PMJJBY replace term insurance?
No. ₹2 lakh will not replace an earning member's income or clear typical family liabilities such as a home loan. PMJJBY is an inexpensive additional layer of basic protection, best held alongside term cover sized to your family's actual obligations.
What is the difference between PMJJBY and PMSBY?
PMJJBY is life insurance — ₹2 lakh for death from any cause, ₹436 a year, ages 18 to 50. PMSBY is accident insurance — ₹2 lakh for accidental death or total disability and ₹1 lakh for partial disability, ₹20 a year, ages 18 to 70. PMJJBY has no disability benefit; PMSBY does not respond to death from illness. Both can be held together.
Can PMJJBY be renewed automatically?
Yes, through the auto-debit mandate given at enrolment, provided the account holds sufficient balance when the debit is attempted and the member is within the age limit. It is worth confirming the debit appears in the passbook each year rather than assuming it succeeded.
Is the PMJJBY premium tax deductible?
As a life insurance premium it generally falls within the ₹1.5 lakh deduction, which from 1 April 2026 is Section 123 read with Schedule XV of the Income-tax Act, 2025, replacing Section 80C. That deduction is available only under the old tax regime. Given the amount involved, the cover rather than the tax should be the reason for enrolling.
Is a medical test required for PMJJBY?
No. Enrolment is on the basis of the consent-cum-declaration form rather than medical underwriting, which is part of why the 30-day lien period exists for non-accidental death.
Understand your family's financial protection
Learn how PMJJBY works, check your eligibility, and understand where this low-cost life insurance scheme fits within a broader financial protection plan.
Sources and verification
Scheme rules last verified: 8 August 2026.
- Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance — official PMJJBY FAQ at financialservices.gov.in/pmjjby (page last updated 5 January 2026): premium, pro-rata slabs, premium appropriation, eligibility, lien period, termination grounds, multiple-account rule, NRI eligibility, joint accounts, and coverage of natural calamities, suicide and murder
- Department of Financial Services — Jan Suraksha scheme framework for PMSBY comparison figures
- Income-tax Act, 2025 — Section 123 read with Schedule XV, in force from 1 April 2026, replacing Section 80C of the Income-tax Act, 1961
- Participating bank and post office scheme documentation for operational details on enrolment channels and claim filing
Nothing on this page is marked unverified. Where a detail varies by institution — enrolment channels, exact claim documents, processing timelines — that is stated rather than presented as a fixed rule.
Disclaimer: Arthzo provides this page for educational and informational purposes. PMJJBY eligibility, premium, coverage, exclusions, claim procedures, renewal conditions and other rules are subject to applicable government notifications and scheme terms and may change. The eligibility checker and calculators are illustrative and are not an official eligibility or claim decision. Arthzo is not an insurance company, insurance agent, bank, government authority or claim-processing agency, and does not sell or earn commission on any product. Verify the latest information with the participating bank, post office, insurer or official government sources before enrolling or making a financial decision.