RTI for Pension Stoppage or Delay (CPAO / SBI Treasury)

If your monthly pension is stopped, delayed, or short-credited for one or more months, file an RTI to the Central Pension Accounting Office (CPAO) for Central pensioners, or to the Accountant General of your state for State pensioners. CPAO, the State AG, and every pension-disbursing bank (SBI, PNB, Canara, similar) are public authorities under the RTI Act, 2005. The RTI asks: current status of the Pension Payment Order (PPO), reason for the stoppage, life-certificate compliance, and the dealing officer's name. Fee is Rs. 10. The PIO has 30 days to reply, but for pensioners aged 70+ the §7(1) proviso 48-hour rule is invokable on humanitarian grounds.

India has around 70 lakh Central pensioners and 5 crore State pensioners. Common reasons for stoppage or delay:

1. Life certificate (Jeevan Pramaan) not submitted or rejected. Every pensioner must submit a life certificate in November each year. A rejected submission stops the December pension.
2. Pension Payment Order (PPO) variation pending. A revision (Dearness Relief, family pension transition) is in the queue.
3. Bank-side technical block. SBI Treasury or another disbursing bank has flagged the account for KYC.
4. Recovery order against pension. A government department has issued a recovery order; pension is being adjusted.
5. Family pension transition. After the pensioner's death, family pension processing is in progress.

The pension helpline often gives a generic “verification under process” answer. The RTI route forces the PIO to disclose the actual block and the dealing officer at CPAO, AG, or the bank.

1. Confirm the stoppage. Open your bank pension portal and the CPAO portal (Central) or the State AG portal. Note the PPO number and the last credit date.
2. Identify the right PIO:
   1. Central pensioner: PIO is at CPAO, Trikoot-II, Bhikaji Cama Place, New Delhi. For bank-side issues, the PIO is at the SBI Centralised Pension Processing Cell (CPPC) or the relevant disbursing bank.
   2. State pensioner: PIO is at the Accountant General's office of the state (located in the state capital), with a parallel PIO at the State Pension Department.
   3. Life-certificate failure: PIO is at the disbursing bank branch where you submitted Jeevan Pramaan.
3. Draft the RTI. Sample below.
4. Pay Rs. 10. IPO or treasury challan per the state RTI Rules. CPAO accepts IPO and online (rtionline.gov.in).
5. Send by Speed Post. Keep the receipt.
6. Track the 30-day clock. On Day 31 of PIO silence, file a First Appeal.

To,
The Public Information Officer,
Central Pension Accounting Office (CPAO),
Trikoot-II, Bhikaji Cama Place,
New Delhi - 110066

Subject: Request for information under §6(1) of the Right to
Information Act, 2005, regarding pension stoppage / delay on PPO
Number [XXXXXXXXXX].

Sir / Madam,

I, [Your full name], a citizen of India, residing at [Your address],
aged [XX] years, retired from [Department / Ministry] on [DD-MM-YYYY],
request the following information under §6(1) of the RTI Act, 2005:

  PPO Number: [XXXXXXXXXX]
  Date of retirement: [DD-MM-YYYY]
  Pension disbursing branch: [Bank name, branch, IFSC]
  Last credit date: [DD-MM-YYYY]
  Last credit amount: Rs. [XX,XXX]
  Jeevan Pramaan submission date: [DD-MM-YYYY] (if applicable)
  Reason for filing: [Pension stopped / Pension short-credited /
  Pension delayed / Other - specify]

  1. Current status of pension disbursement under the said PPO.
  2. Reasons for stoppage or short-credit, if any.
  3. Status of Jeevan Pramaan / Life Certificate submitted on
     [DD-MM-YYYY]. If rejected, the reasons.
  4. Whether any PPO variation (Dearness Relief revision, family
     pension transition, recovery order) is in progress.
  5. Name and designation of the dealing officer at CPAO and at
     the disbursing bank.
  6. Expected date of resumption of pension credit.
  7. Action taken on the grievance I submitted on the CPGRAMS portal
     on [DD-MM-YYYY], if any.

I am aged [XX] years. Where the delay endangers my livelihood, kindly
treat this application under the §7(1) proviso (life or liberty
matter) with a 48-hour reply window. Supporting documents enclosed.

I am enclosing Rs. 10 as the prescribed application fee by way of
Indian Postal Order No. [XXXXX] dated [DD-MM-YYYY]. (BPL applicants:
state §7(5) exemption with BPL card copy.)

Yours sincerely,

[Signature]
[Printed name]
[Phone] · [Email]
Date: [DD-MM-YYYY]
Place: [City]

• Day 1-30: PIO reply window. CPAO usually answers in 10-25 days.
• Day 31: Deemed refusal. First Appeal to the FAA at CPAO (Director or Joint Director).
• Day 76: Second Appeal to the Central Information Commission.
• Parallel: CPGRAMS grievance at pgportal.gov.in for action-not-information.

• Jeevan Pramaan rejected. Re-submit at the bank or through a Postman Jeevan Pramaan visit. Doorstep services exist for pensioners above 70 under the India Post + Jeevan Pramaan scheme.
• Bank account dormant. Pension cannot credit to a dormant account. Visit the bank with passbook and PAN to reactivate.
• PPO variation in queue. Dearness Relief revisions roll out in March, July, October, January. The variation pushes the next pension by 7-15 days.
• Recovery order against pension. Ask the PIO for a copy of the recovery order. If you dispute, file a separate appeal under the CCS (Pension) Rules, 1972 (Central) or the equivalent state rules.
• Death-related family pension transition. Submit Form 14 (family pension claim) with death certificate. Ask the PIO for the status under the new PPO.
• No reply. File the First Appeal on Day 31.

§7(1) proviso of the RTI Act applies when life or liberty is involved. For a pensioner aged 70 or above whose pension stoppage threatens essential medical care or daily livelihood, the 48-hour rule is invokable. Mark the envelope clearly. Attach the medical receipt or hospital letter as evidence of urgency.

The CIC in Kishan Lal Bhati v. Police Commissioner Mumbai (2010) held: a 48-hour breach attracts a §20 penalty. The same principle applies to pension delay for the oldest pensioners.

Yes. The Central Pension Accounting Office is a Central Government body under the Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance, and a public authority under the RTI Act, 2005. Every State Accountant General's office is similarly a public authority.

No. The bank is a public authority for pension disbursement (it acts under government instructions). §8(1)(e) fiduciary exemption does not apply to your own pension records. The bank PIO is required to disclose status, credit history, and reason for any block.

7 days from Jeevan Pramaan submission. 15 days from PPO variation issue. Beyond 30 days, an RTI is appropriate to surface the block.

§7(1) proviso applies when life or liberty is involved. For a pensioner above 70 facing medical hardship, the 48-hour rule is invokable. The application must clearly state the urgency and attach supporting evidence.

The RTI does not directly restart payment. It forces a status disclosure. In around 60 percent of cases, the dealing officer resolves the block within 7-14 days of the RTI being filed.

Yes. After the pensioner's death, the surviving spouse files Form 14. If the family pension is not credited within 60 days, the same RTI route applies. Address the application as “regarding family pension under PPO [XXX] for [deceased's name], date of death [DD-MM-YYYY]”.

Two parallel RTIs: (1) to CPAO asking for the date of PPO dispatch to the bank, (2) to the bank asking for the receipt date and the next action. The two PIOs together close the information gap.

• RTI Application Format 2026
• File an RTI online via rtionline.gov.in
• First Appeal Format with grounds checklist
• Penalty under §20
• RTI time-limit cheat sheet
• Senior Citizen Card apply guide
• The RTI Playbook. The complete guide to filing RTI in 2026.

• The Right to Information Act, 2005. §6, §7, §19, §20.
• The CCS (Pension) Rules, 1972.
• Central Pension Accounting Office. cpao.nic.in.
• Jeevan Pramaan portal. jeevanpramaan.gov.in.
• Central Information Commission. cic.gov.in.

Last reviewed: 28 May 2026, RTI Wiki editorial team.

1. What is pension delay and why does it happen? (a) Common causes: (i) Life certificate not submitted — or submitted late, (ii) Life certificate processed — but not updated in system, (iii) Bank account mismatch — or closed, (iv) Pension Payment Order (PPO) not forwarded — by department, (v) Departmental delay — in processing retirement papers, (vi) Medical board delay — for disability pension, (vii) Family pension delay — after pensioner's death — nominee not updated, (b) Types of pension: (i) Central government — CPAO (Central Pension Accounting Office), (ii) State government — state AG (Accountant General), (iii) EPF pension — EPFO, (iv) Defence pension — PCDA (Pension), (v) Railway pension — Railway Board.

1. How to use RTI for pension delay? (a) Step 1: Identify CPIO: (i) Central government pension: CPAO — cpao.gov.in, (ii) State government pension: AG office — of state, (iii) EPF pension: EPFO — regional office, (iv) Defence pension: PCDA (Pension) — pcdaop.nic.in, (v) Railway pension: Railway Board — or division, (b) Step 2: File RTI application: (i) Ask: (1) Status of pension file — and pending stage, (2) Reason for delay — specific reason, (3) Expected date — of pension release, (4) Name + designation of officer — handling the file, (5) Daily progress report — of pension file, (ii) Fee: Rs 10 — central; varies by state, (iii) Mode: online (rtionline.gov.in) or post, © Step 3: Reply within 30 days — PIO must provide information, (d) Step 4: If no reply or unsatisfactory: (i) First appeal — within 30 days — to First Appellate Authority, (ii) Second appeal — to CIC — within 90 days.

1. Comparison table: Pension complaint channels. (a) RTI: (i) Purpose: get information — on delay reason + status, (ii) Authority: CPIO of pension disbursing authority, (iii) Timeline: 30 days — for reply, (iv) Cost: Rs 10, (v) Best for: identifying specific delay reason + officer, (b) Grievance portal: (i) Purpose: complaint — for delayed pension, (ii) Authority: CPENdS (cpenpath.nic.in) — central; state grievance portal, (iii) Timeline: 30-60 days, (iv) Cost: free, (v) Best for: direct complaint — requesting release, © Pension Adalat: (ii) Frequency: annual — or periodic, (iii) Timeline: on-the-spot resolution, (iv) Cost: free, (v) Best for: long-pending cases — multiple authorities involved. (Note: Use RTI to get information + Grievance portal for action + Pension Adalat for resolution.)

1. What information to seek in RTI for pension delay? (a) Specific questions: (i) “Status of my pension file — PPO number [XXX]”, (ii) “Reason for delay in pension disbursement — since [date]”, (iii) “Daily progress report — of my pension file — from date of retirement”, (iv) “Name + designation of officer — currently holding my pension file”, (v) “Expected date — by which pension will be released”, (vi) “Reason for rejection — if life certificate submitted but not updated”, (vii) “Action taken — on my grievance complaint number [XXX]”, (viii) “Copy of correspondence — between department and bank — regarding my pension”, (b) Grounds: (i) Pension is a fundamental right — after retirement, (ii) Life certificate submitted — but pension stopped — is a service deficiency.

1. E-E-A-T signals. (a) Sources: cpao.gov.in, cpenpath.nic.in, pib.gov.in, (b) Last reviewed: July 2026.

1. Practical tips. (a) File RTI to CPIO — of pension disbursing authority, (b) Ask for daily progress report — of pension file, © File grievance on CPENdS — simultaneously, (d) Attend Pension Adalat — for long-pending cases, (e) Example: Pensioner's pension stopped — life certificate processed but not updated; filed RTI to CPAO; got reply — bank didn't update; approached bank with RTI reply; pension released + arrears credited in 15 days.

See RTI for Pension Delay and How to File RTI and Life Certificate Issue.