Specially designed for Individuals working in the unorganised sector, Atal Pension Yojana Post Office is a perfect scheme for residents of India looking for a suitable retirement scheme. With government backing, the scheme offers a variety of benefits to its subscribers. For instance, you get to enjoy a guaranteed minimum pension. In addition to that, subscribers also have the power to pass on their pension benefits to their nominee or spouse.
With the APY scheme in the post office, subscribers get a guaranteed pension of ₹1000/-, ₹2000/-, ₹3000/-, ₹4000/-, and ₹5000/- every month once they reach 60 years of your age. The minimum pension limit is determined based on an individual’s contributions and the age at which they choose to subscribe to the benefits of the scheme.
Anyone between 18 and 40 years old is eligible to subscribe to the APY scheme. Are you curious to know more about the Atal Pension Yojana Post Office scheme? Well, read on as we explore the scheme in detail, starting from its eligibility to the application process and much more.
Overview of APY in the Post Office
Before diving deep into the details, let's first have a quick overview of the Atal Pension Yojana in the Post Office. Atal Pension Yojana Post Office is a pension scheme aiming to help individuals with a monthly income post their retirement age. With concerns like a decrease in earning ability with growing age and the rising costs of living, the APY scheme ensures to offer monthly income that improves your longevity and quality of life. Subscribers of the APY Post Office scheme are promised a monthly income of a minimum ₹1000 to a maximum of ₹5000 after reaching 60 years of age.
What makes the scheme more attractive is that in addition to your voluntary contributions, the Government also co-contributes 50% of your total contribution subject to a maximum of ₹1000 every year. The co-contribution by the government is available to individuals who subscribed to the scheme from June 1, 2015, to March 31, 2016 and is valid for 5 years. Also, the co-contribution is not available to individuals who are covered under any social security scheme like EPFs. Also, they shouldn't be income taxpayers.
Individuals can make quarterly, monthly, or yearly contributions to the scheme using the auto-debit feature from their post office savings account or simply savings bank account. This contribution depends on an individual's pension and their age at the entry point.
Eligibility Criteria for Atal Pension Scheme at Post Office
Now that you know the basics of the Atal Pension Plan in the Post Office, let's move forward. Let's try to understand who can benefit from the scheme. Before you subscribe to the scheme, make sure to check if you meet the eligibility criteria. This can help you smoothly complete your application process.
To enroll in the Atal Pension Yojana Post Office scheme, make sure you're between 18 and 40 years of age.
You must be a citizen of India as the scheme is open only to Indian residents.
You must have a savings bank account at the post office or any general bank.
You might need to provide your mobile number and Aadhar details during registration for the Atal Pension Plan at the post office. The same ensures you receive regular updates and all important notifications of your APY account.
How to Apply for Atal Pension Yojana in the Post Office
Once you meet the eligibility requirements of the scheme, the application process will follow. Are you wondering how to apply for the Atal Pension Scheme in the Post Office? Well, let's have a look.
Consider approaching your nearest post office or bank where the subscriber has a savings account. If they don't have one, start by opening one in the nearest post office or any bank.
Now, fill in your Atal Pension Yojana registration form by providing your essential details, like your bank account number or your savings account details. You may consider getting help from the bank staff to fill in all the required details correctly.
Also, consider providing your mobile number and Aadhar. Though the same is not mandatory, it comes in handy to keep you updated on your account notifications.
Not to forget, make sure to have a minimum required amount in your savings account for seamless monthly or yearly contribution transfers.
Checking Atal Pension Yojana Balance in the Post Office
Individuals having an Atal Pension Yojana Account also wonder how to know their balance. If you're also struggling with the same concern, here is what you need to do.
Consider visiting the official website of the National Pension Scheme Central Record-keeping Agency.
Now, consider accessing your transaction statement. You may also navigate the APY e-PRAN option.
Here, if you have your PRAN details with you, fill the same directly using “with PRAN”. In case you don't have the same, consider choosing “without PRAN” and then fill in your DOB and bank account number to search.
You may directly log in using your 12-digit permanent retirement account number. This is an available option in case you choose PRAN details with you. Now, download your transaction statement or simply check your account balance.
Important Points to Note About Atal Pension Scheme in the Post Office
In addition to all these, before you enrol yourself on the benefits of the APY scheme in the post office, here are some other significant pointers you must be aware of.
You must fill in your nominee details for an APY account. For subscribers who are married, your spouse can be your default nominee. For unmarried subscribers, you may choose to nominate any suitable person you trust.
You are only allowed to open one Atal Pension Yojana account and multiple accounts are not allowed.
In case a subscriber fails to transfer their monthly, quarterly, or yearly contributions on time, the bank can charge an extra ₹10 as a penalty charge.
The exit of a subscriber before reaching 60 years of age is only accepted in rare cases. This includes terminal illness or untimely demise of the subscriber. In case they choose to leave the scheme before the age of 60; the subscriber is eligible to just receive the corpus amount.