PMJJBY 2026: ₹2 Lakh Life Cover for ₹436, Eligibility, Claim

Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) is a government-backed one-year term life cover of ₹2 lakh for ₹436 a year, paid by auto-debit from your bank or post office account. Anyone aged 18 to 50 with a savings account can join, and the cover can continue up to age 55. As of October 2026 the scheme is active, with about 27.84 crore cumulative enrolments as of 1 July 2026, according to a Finance Ministry reply in the Lok Sabha.

This guide covers eligibility, the exact premium by month of joining, the lien period, how to enrol and how a nominee gets the money.

PMJJBY at a glance (as of October 2026)

The premium was revised from ₹330 to ₹436 with effect from 1 June 2022 and has stayed at ₹436 since. The government can revise it, so watch for an SMS from your bank before the May renewal.

Who is eligible

• An individual savings account holder (single or joint) of a participating bank or post office.
• Age 18 to 50 at the time of joining.
• Only one account can be used. If you have accounts in three banks, enrol through just one.
• NRIs with an eligible Indian bank account can join; claims are paid in rupees.
• Joint account holders can each join separately, paying their own premium.

Premium if you join mid-year

The cover year runs from 1 June to 31 May. If you join for the first time partway through, you pay a reduced premium for that year:

From the next 1 June, the full ₹436 is debited at renewal. Keep enough balance in the account at the end of May, or the cover lapses.

The 30-day lien period

For a first-time subscriber (and anyone re-joining after a break), cover starts on the date the premium is auto-debited, but death other than by accident in the first 30 days is not covered. Accidental death in those 30 days is covered. This rule stops people from enrolling only after a serious diagnosis.

Worked example: what PMJJBY costs over the years

Ramesh, 30, joins in October 2026.

• First-year premium (October enrolment): ₹342, for cover until 31 May 2027.
• From June 2027 he pays ₹436 every year until his cover ends at 55.
• Full-premium years from June 2027 to May 2052: 25 years × ₹436 = ₹10,900 (at today's premium).
• Total over the period: ₹342 + ₹10,900 = ₹11,242 for ₹2 lakh of cover every single year.

If he also joins PMSBY for ₹20 a year, his total is ₹456 a year. On accidental death his nominee could receive ₹2 lakh from PMJJBY plus ₹2 lakh from PMSBY, so ₹4 lakh. On death from illness, only PMJJBY pays: ₹2 lakh.

There is no refund if Ramesh survives. That is normal for term insurance and is why the premium is low.

How to enrol in PMJJBY

1. Through your bank branch or post office: fill the PMJJBY consent-cum-declaration form, name a nominee and sign the auto-debit consent.
2. Through net banking or mobile banking: most banks have a "Social Security Schemes" or "Jan Suraksha" option. You select PMJJBY, confirm the nominee and the premium is debited.
3. Through a Bank Mitra (business correspondent) in rural areas.
4. Through the e-Shram portal: registered unorganised workers can start enrolment for PMJJBY and PMSBY from the portal (see e-Shram card benefits).

Forms are available on the Jan Suraksha portal (jansuraksha.gov.in) and at banks. Enrolment is free apart from the premium. When you enrol on your own electronically, the business correspondent's commission is not payable, and scheme rules say that saving is to be passed on to you through a lower premium.

When the cover stops

• On reaching age 55 (age nearest birthday).
• If the bank account is closed, or there is not enough balance on the auto-debit date.
• If the premium is taken from more than one account, cover stays limited to ₹2 lakh and the duplicate premium can be forfeited.

If your cover lapsed, you can re-join in a later year by paying the applicable premium, but the 30-day lien applies again.

How the nominee claims ₹2 lakh

1. Inform the bank branch where the account was held, preferably within 30 days of the death.
2. Get the claim form from the branch, the insurer or the Jan Suraksha portal.
3. Submit documents: claim-cum-discharge form, death certificate, nominee's Aadhaar and bank details (passbook or cancelled cheque), and the deceased's account details. If there was no nominee, the legal heirs file with proof of heirship.
4. Bank verifies and forwards the claim to the insurer. Under the 2021 claims procedure, the bank should forward a complete claim within 7 days and the insurer should settle within 7 days of receiving it.
5. Money is credited to the nominee's bank account.

Common reasons PMJJBY claims are rejected

• Death in the 30-day lien period from a cause other than accident.
• Policy had lapsed because the account had no balance on the renewal date.
• Duplicate cover: claim paid only once even if premium was taken twice.
• Age above limit or mismatch in age records.
• Missing nominee or KYC mismatch, which delays rather than denies the claim.

Read our wider guide on why insurance claims are rejected.

Where to complain

1. Bank branch or the insurer's grievance officer. Get a complaint number.
2. Jan Suraksha helpline: toll-free 1800-180-1111 and 1800-110-001 are listed for these schemes; state-wise numbers are on jansuraksha.gov.in.
3. Bima Bharosa (IRDAI) at bimabharosa.irdai.gov.in if the insurer does not resolve it.
4. Insurance Ombudsman if the reply is unsatisfactory or there is no reply within 30 days.
5. For banking delays (bank not forwarding the claim), the RBI Integrated Ombudsman at cms.rbi.org.in.

No agent or website can "speed up" a PMJJBY claim for a fee. Claims are free.

PMJJBY vs a regular term plan

PMJJBY is cheap, needs no medical test and covers death from any cause. But ₹2 lakh is small. A breadwinner with dependants usually needs cover of many times annual income; see how much term insurance cover you need. Many people keep PMJJBY as a basic layer and add a private term plan on top.

Key takeaways

• PMJJBY is active as of October 2026: ₹2 lakh life cover for ₹436 a year, age 18-50 at entry, cover till 55.
• First-year premium is pro-rated (₹342, ₹228 or ₹114) if you join after August; renewal is ₹436 every 1 June.
• Non-accidental death in the first 30 days after enrolment is not covered.
• Join through one account only; keep balance before 31 May so the cover does not lapse.
• Nominees claim at the bank branch; the official timeline is 7 days for the bank and 7 days for the insurer.