Insurance schemes you may already haveबीमा योजनाएँ जो शायद आपके पास पहले से हैं
Several government insurance schemes are linked to ordinary savings bank accounts. Many families do not realise they have coverage until after an accident. Check before assuming there is nothing to claim.कई सरकारी बीमा योजनाएँ आम बचत बैंक खातों से जुड़ी होती हैं। कई परिवारों को दुर्घटना के बाद ही पता चलता है कि उनके पास बीमा था। यह मान लेने से पहले कि दावा करने को कुछ नहीं है, एक बार जाँच लें।
Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY)
PMSBY is an accidental death and disability insurance scheme run by the Government of India. If the deceased or injured person held a savings bank account and had opted into PMSBY (which many banks enrol customers into automatically), there may be a valid claim.
- What it covers
- ₹2 lakh for accidental death or total permanent disability. ₹1 lakh for partial permanent disability (loss of one eye, one hand, or one foot).
- Who is eligible
- Savings bank account holders aged 18 to 70 who opted in. The scheme renews annually and the premium is debited from the account automatically.
- How to check if the person was enrolled
- Visit any branch of the bank where the person held a savings account. Ask whether PMSBY was active on the account. Bring a copy of the passbook or account number. The bank can confirm enrollment and provide the claim form.
- How to claim
- Collect the PMSBY claim form from the bank. Submit it with: the FIR, the post-mortem report (in death cases) or the disability certificate (in injury cases), and the death certificate (in death cases). The bank forwards the claim to the insurer.
- Time limit
- Claims should be submitted as soon as possible. Check with the bank for the specific deadline, as it may vary by insurer.
Source: jansuraksha.gov.in
Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY)
PMJJBY is a life insurance scheme, not accident-specific, but it pays out on death from any cause including road accidents. If the deceased held a savings account and was enrolled, the family can claim.
- What it covers
- ₹2 lakh for death from any cause.
- Who is eligible
- Savings account holders aged 18 to 50 who opted in. Renewable annually.
- How to claim
- Visit the bank branch. Submit the claim form with the death certificate and FIR. The bank processes the claim through the linked insurer.
Source: jansuraksha.gov.in
Bank-linked accident insurance on savings accounts
Several public sector banks offer accident insurance as a benefit on specific savings account products — separate from PMSBY. These are sometimes bundled with zero-balance accounts (Jan Dhan accounts under PMJDY), salary accounts, or premium savings accounts. The coverage amount and conditions differ by bank and account type.
To check whether the deceased or injured person had this coverage, visit the bank branch with the account details and ask specifically: "Does this account have any accident insurance benefit?" Do not assume the bank will volunteer this information — ask directly.
For Jan Dhan (PMJDY) accounts specifically: the scheme has included accident insurance with the RuPay debit card. Check whether the account had an active RuPay card and whether the card was used in the 90 days before the accident — this is often a condition of eligibility.
The specific terms (coverage amount, eligibility conditions, claim process) vary by bank, account product, and year of account opening. This page gives general guidance. Verify the specific terms with the bank branch before assuming a claim exists or does not exist.
How to find policies you did not know about
Families often discover months later that a policy existed and the claim window has closed. People rarely tell their family about every policy they hold, and premiums are usually debited automatically without anyone noticing. It is worth spending an hour looking, even if you are fairly sure there was nothing.
Go through their SMS inbox
Insurers and banks send premium debit alerts, renewal reminders, and policy confirmations by SMS. Search the messages for policy, premium, insurance, renewal, LIC, and insurer names. These messages usually carry a policy number, which is all you need to start a claim.
Go through their email
Search for the same words. Insurers email annual statements and renewal notices, and these often survive in an inbox long after the paper document has been lost. Check the spam and promotions folders too.
Go through bank statements
This is the most reliable method. Pull twelve to eighteen months of statements for every account and look for recurring debits to an insurer. A small annual debit of a few hundred rupees is easy to overlook but often means an active policy. PMSBY and PMJJBY premiums show up exactly this way. Note the precise name on the debit line, because that identifies the insurer.
Ask the bank directly
Visit the branch with the death certificate and account details. Ask them to check for insurance linked to the account, any policy sold through the branch, and any cover attached to a debit or credit card. Banks sell insurance on behalf of insurers, so the branch often holds records that appear nowhere else. Ask them to check every account the person held, not only the main one.
If you find a policy number but cannot work out which insurer it belongs to, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) runs a grievance service that can help trace it.
Employer-provided insurance
If the injured or deceased person was employed, check whether the employer provided a group accident insurance policy. This is common in organised-sector jobs and government service. Ask the employer's HR department directly.
For government employees and their dependents, Employees' State Insurance (ESI) may also apply. Contact the nearest ESI office or ask the employer.
These claims do not affect your MACT compensation
Insurance payouts under PMSBY, PMJJBY, or bank schemes are separate from the compensation claim through the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT). Receiving an insurance payout does not disqualify you from MACT compensation. Pursue both.