Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY)

What is it?

PMSBY is a one-year renewable personal accident policy offered through banks and post offices to anyone aged 18 to 70 holding an individual account. At Rs 20 a year it is among the cheapest formal insurance products in the country.

It pays Rs 2 lakh for accidental death, and the same Rs 2 lakh for the most severe permanent disabilities: total and irrecoverable loss of sight in both eyes, or of the use of both hands or both feet, or one eye and one limb. Less severe permanent disability, such as loss of sight in one eye or the use of one hand or foot, is covered at Rs 1 lakh. Unlike PMJJBY it does not cover death from natural causes.

Cover runs from 1 June to 31 May and the premium is auto-debited annually. Cover ends at age 70, or when the account closes or lacks funds, and you may enrol through one account only.

Potential benefit

₹1,00,000 – ₹2,00,000 sum assured

Rs 2,00,000 for accidental death; Rs 2,00,000 for total and irrecoverable loss of both eyes, both hands or feet, or one eye and one hand or foot; and Rs 1,00,000 for total and irrecoverable loss of sight of one eye or use of one hand or foot. Premium Rs 20 per year. Payment is subject to the insurer's claim process.

Who can apply?

• Age between 18 and 70

  Where this comes from

  All individual (single or joint) account holders of participating banks / Post office, in the age group of 18 to 70 years are entitled to join.

  Official source ↗
• You have a bank or post office account

  Where this comes from

  All bank account holders other than institutional account holders are eligible for subscribing to PMSBY scheme.

  Official source ↗

Other conditions stated by the government

• You must be aged between 18 and 70.
• You must hold an individual bank or post office account. Institutional account holders are excluded.
• You may join through only one bank or post office account.
• Cover ends at age 70, or if the bank account is closed or has insufficient balance.
• This scheme covers accidental death and disability only. It does not cover death from natural causes.

Eligibility information is provided for informational purposes only. Final eligibility and approval are determined by the relevant government authority.

Documents you will need

• Enrolment form with auto-debit authorisation
• Consent-cum-declaration form in the prescribed proforma

How to apply

Submit the prescribed enrolment and auto-debit consent form to the bank or post office holding your individual account, or enrol electronically through that bank's channels. Rs 20 is then debited annually in a single instalment. The cover period is 1 June to 31 May and renews so long as the mandate holds and the account is funded.

Where to apply: bank and offline

Deadline

No fixed deadline. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.