PM Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY): Rs 2 lakh accident cover for Rs 20 a year, your questions answered (2026)

Most people who hold a Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana policy do not know they hold it. The premium is so small that it slips out of the bank account once a year without anyone noticing. Then an accident happens, and the family has no idea a claim was ever possible. This guide answers the real questions a working family asks about PMSBY, in the order they usually ask them, so that the Rs 2 lakh cover does not go to waste.

PMSBY is an accident insurance scheme. If the policyholder dies in an accident, the nominee receives Rs 2 lakh. If an accident causes total and permanent disability, the policyholder receives Rs 2 lakh. If an accident causes a partial permanent disability, the payout is Rs 1 lakh. The single word that decides everything is “accident”. A death or disability caused by illness, old age, or natural reasons is not covered by this scheme.

This is the most common mix-up, because the two schemes are sold at the same bank counter and both cost a small premium. The Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana is a life insurance scheme. It pays Rs 2 lakh on death from any cause, illness or accident, and its premium is Rs 436 a year. PMSBY is narrower and cheaper. It pays only for accidents, and it also covers disability, which PMJJBY does not. The premium is Rs 20 a year. Many people enrol in both, so that natural death is covered by one scheme and accidental death or disability by the other. They are separate policies with separate premiums.

The premium is Rs 20 for a full year of cover because the risk is spread across a huge pool. Cumulative enrolment under PMSBY crossed 50 crore by early 2025, and the chance of an accident claim in any single year is small. Public sector general insurers underwrite the pool, so the per person cost stays at the level of a single bus fare. The low price is not a reason to doubt the cover. It reflects the size of the pool, not a weakness in the promise.

You may join PMSBY if you meet three conditions. You are aged between 18 and 70 years. You hold a savings bank account, which includes a Jan Dhan account, at a participating bank or post office. You agree to the auto-debit of the premium and give consent, with your Aadhaar linked to the account as the participating bank requires. There is no medical test. Enrolment is by a simple consent, not by a health check.

You may enrol through only one bank account, even if you hold several. Paying the premium twice through two accounts does not double the cover. If two premiums are found, one enrolment is treated as valid and the other is liable to be cancelled with the premium forfeited. Choose the account you use most and keep the cover on that one.

No. Any eligible savings bank account works. The scheme sits well with a Jan Dhan account because that is how millions of first time account holders came into the banking system, but a regular savings account at any participating bank is equally valid.

You can enrol in three ways. The simplest is net banking or the mobile banking app of most participating banks, where PMSBY appears under insurance or social security schemes and activates in a few taps. You can also submit the consent cum enrolment form at your bank branch. Some banks allow enrolment by SMS. In every case you name a nominee at the time of joining, which is the single most important step for an accident scheme, because in a death claim it is the nominee who receives the money.

The cover year runs from 1 June to 31 May. Banks auto-debit the Rs 20 premium once a year, usually in the last week of May, so that the renewed cover is active from 1 June. If you join in the middle of a year, the cover still ends on the following 31 May, and the scheme rules set out how the premium is treated for a mid year joining. To stay covered without a break, keep enough balance in the account in the last week of May every year.

If the account does not have enough balance on the debit date, the premium is not taken and the cover lapses for that year. There is no grace built into an auto-debit that fails for want of balance. This is the quiet reason many families discover, too late, that the cover was not active on the day of the accident. Keep at least Rs 20 clear in the account through late May, and check your passbook or statement for the debit entry.

An accident is a sudden, external, and violent event that causes bodily injury, death, or disablement, and that is not caused by illness or a natural condition. Road crashes, falls, drowning, burns, electrocution, and similar events are the kind of incidents the scheme is built for. Because the cause has to be an accident, the claim papers centre on proving the event, which is why an accident scheme asks for a police report where a life scheme does not.

Disability is paid in two tiers. The full Rs 2 lakh is paid for total and irrecoverable loss of both eyes, or loss of the use of both hands or both feet, or loss of sight of one eye together with loss of the use of one hand or one foot. The partial Rs 1 lakh is paid for total and irrecoverable loss of sight of one eye, or loss of the use of one hand or one foot. The loss has to be total and permanent, and it has to follow from an accident. A doctor's disability certificate is the document that establishes which tier applies.

Natural death is not covered, because the scheme is accident only. Death or disability from illness is not covered. Suicide is not an accident and is excluded. If you want cover for death from any cause, that is the role of PMJJBY, which is why the two schemes are held together. Knowing the boundary in advance saves a family from lodging a claim that the scheme was never meant to pay.

For an accidental death, the nominee files the claim. For a disability claim, the policyholder files. The claim is lodged at the bank branch through which the person enrolled, because that branch holds the enrolment record and forwards the papers to the insurer. Inform the bank as soon as possible after the accident and ask for the PMSBY claim form. Do not wait, since an accident claim depends on records like the police report that are easier to collect early.

An accident claim rests on proving the accident and the identity of the claimant. For a death claim the papers usually include the completed claim form, the death certificate, the police first information report or accident report, and where required the post mortem report, along with the nominee's identity and bank details. For a disability claim, a disability certificate from the competent medical authority is central. Ask your bank for the exact current checklist, as insurers may ask for one or two more papers depending on the case.

The scheme is designed for a short and paper light settlement once the completed claim reaches the insurer. Lodge the claim through your bank without delay after the accident and confirm the current claim window and settlement timeline with the bank or on the official portal, since these operational details are set by the insurer and can be revised. The safe rule for a family is simple. Report the accident to the bank quickly, gather the police and medical papers, and submit them in one complete set.

• The debit failed and cover lapsed. The account did not have Rs 20 on the debit date. Keep a small buffer through late May and check the statement for the entry, then re enrol if a year was missed.
• The family did not know the cover existed. Tell your nominee that you hold PMSBY, which bank account it runs on, and where the passbook is. An unknown policy pays nothing.
• A natural death claim was filed and rejected. PMSBY is accident only. For death from illness or natural causes, the relevant cover is PMJJBY, not this scheme.
• The claim is stuck at the bank or insurer. Note the date you submitted, the branch, and the name of the official who received the papers. This record is what you rely on if you have to escalate.

When a genuine accident claim sits without a written reason, a Right to Information request to the concerned public authority often gets the file moving, because the authority then has to answer or explain in writing. Draft a short, factual request in minutes with the AI RTI Drafter, and see the full filing and appeal process in The RTI Playbook.

Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana was launched on 8 May 2015 in Kolkata by the Union government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as one of three Jan Suraksha social security schemes alongside PMJJBY and the Atal Pension Yojana. It is run by the Department of Financial Services under the Ministry of Finance, with cover provided by public sector and other general insurers through banks. The premium was Rs 12 a year at the start and was revised to Rs 20 a year with effect from 1 June 2022. You can see it beside every other central and state welfare scheme on the All Modi-era Sarkari Yojana index 2014 to 2026.

No. PMSBY pays only for death or disability caused by an accident. For death from illness or natural causes you need PMJJBY, which is a life cover for any cause.

No. Suicide is not treated as an accident, so it is outside the scope of this scheme.

Yes. They are separate schemes with separate premiums, and many people hold both so that accidents and natural death are each covered. PMSBY costs Rs 20 a year and PMJJBY costs Rs 436 a year.

The scheme covers people from 18 up to 70 years of age. Read the current scheme rules for how cover is treated as a member reaches the upper age.

Yes. PMSBY is a one year cover from 1 June to 31 May, renewed by the annual auto-debit of the premium. Keep the balance ready in late May so the debit goes through.

Rs 2 lakh for accidental death or total permanent disability, and Rs 1 lakh for partial permanent disability, for a premium of Rs 20 a year.

• PM Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana life cover
• Jan Dhan account for the auto-debit
• Atal Pension Yojana for old-age income
• e-Shram card for unorganised workers
• PM Shram Yogi Maandhan pension
• Sukanya Samriddhi for a daughter's savings
• National Pension System for retirement
• All Modi-era Sarkari Yojanas 2014 to 2026

• Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, PMSBY page: financialservices.gov.in
• Jan Suraksha official portal: jansuraksha.gov.in
• PMSBY premium revised to Rs 20 with effect from 1 June 2022
• Cumulative PMSBY enrolment above 50 crore as of February 2025

Written by Dr. Shrawan Kumar Pathak. Last reviewed: 1 July 2026.

PMSBY (Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana) 2026 — complete guide on status, claim process, and benefits:

1. Step 1: What is PMSBY? (a) the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) — was launched on May 9, 2015 — by the Government of India — and is an accident insurance scheme — for the bank account holders, (b) the scheme — provides: (i) the accidental death cover — of Rs 2 lakh — and the permanent total disability cover — of Rs 2 lakh, (ii) the permanent partial disability cover — of Rs 1 lakh, (iii) the premium — is Rs 20 per year — auto-debited from the bank account — by May 31 — every year, © the eligibility: (i) the age — 18 to 70 years, (ii) the bank account — is required — (savings account — with any bank), (iii) the Aadhaar — is the primary KYC — and is linked — to the bank account, (d) the scheme — is administered — by the participating insurance companies — and the banks — and the premium — is shared — between the insurance companies — and the banks.
2. Step 2: How to enroll in PMSBY 2026. (a) visit the bank: (i) visit the bank — where you have the savings account, (ii) fill the PMSBY enrollment form — with the Aadhaar — and the bank account details, (iii) the bank — debits the premium — of Rs 20 — from the account — and enrolls you — in the scheme, (b) online: (i) some banks — offer the online enrollment — through the net banking — or the mobile banking, (ii) fill the form — online — and the premium — is auto-debited, © the auto-renewal: (i) the PMSBY — is auto-renewed — every year — if the bank account — has the sufficient balance — on May 31, (ii) the premium — of Rs 20 — is auto-debited — and the cover — continues — for one year — from June 1 to May 31, (d) the confirmation: (i) the bank — sends the confirmation SMS — after the enrollment — and the renewal, (ii) the certificate — can be downloaded — from the bank's portal — or the PMSBY portal — pmsby.gov.in.
3. Step 3: How to check PMSBY status 2026. (a) check the bank: (i) check the bank statement — for the PMSBY premium debit — of Rs 20 — around May 31, (ii) if the debit — is not shown — the enrollment — or the renewal — may have failed, (b) online — through the PMSBY portal: (i) visit pmsby.gov.in — and check the status — using the bank account number — or the Aadhaar — or the mobile number, (ii) the status — shows: (a) “Enrolled” — with the insurance company — and the certificate, (b) “Not Enrolled” — if the enrollment — is not done, © “Lapsed” — if the renewal — is failed — due to the insufficient balance, © check with the insurance company: (i) the PMSBY — is administered — by the insurance companies — and the status — can be checked — with the insurance company — assigned to your bank, (ii) the list — of the insurance companies — is on the PMSBY portal.
4. Step 4: How to file a PMSBY claim. (a) the accident: (i) the accident — must be reported — to the police — and the FIR — is filed, (ii) the medical treatment — is taken — at the hospital — and the discharge summary — is obtained, (b) the claim — within 30 days: (i) intimate the claim — to the bank — and the insurance company — within 30 days — of the accident, (ii) the claim form — is available — on the PMSBY portal — and the bank, © the documents: (i) the claim form — duly filled, (ii) the FIR copy — and the police report, (iii) the hospital discharge summary — and the medical reports, (iv) the death certificate — in case of the death, (v) the post-mortem report — in case of the death, (vi) the Aadhaar card — and the bank passbook, (vii) the nominee details — and the bank account, (d) the submission: (i) submit the claim — to the bank — or the insurance company, (ii) the insurance company — processes the claim — within 30 days — of the submission, (e) the claim amount: (i) the death — and the permanent total disability — Rs 2 lakh, (ii) the permanent partial disability — Rs 1 lakh.
5. Step 5: Common PMSBY issues and solutions. (a) enrollment failed: (i) the enrollment — is failed — because of the insufficient balance — or the wrong Aadhaar — or the technical issue, (ii) the solution: (a) check the bank balance — and re-enroll, (b) update the Aadhaar — at the bank, © file RTI — with the bank — or the insurance company, (b) renewal failed: (i) the auto-renewal — is failed — because of the insufficient balance — on May 31, (ii) the solution: (a) maintain the balance — and re-enroll — in June, (b) file RTI — with the bank, © claim rejected: (i) the claim — is rejected — because of the late intimation — or the wrong documents — or the pre-existing condition, (ii) the solution: (a) check the reason — and re-submit — with the correct documents, (b) file a grievance — with the insurance company, © file RTI — with the insurance company — or the bank, (d) no confirmation: (i) the enrollment — is done — but no confirmation SMS — or the certificate, (ii) the solution: (a) check the PMSBY portal — for the status, (b) file RTI — with the bank.
6. Step 6: File RTI on PMSBY. File RTI with the bank (or the insurance company — or the Ministry of Finance) asking for: (a) the enrollment: “Provide the PMSBY enrollment status — for [name], [bank account number], [Aadhaar number] — including: (i) the enrollment date, (ii) the insurance company, (iii) the policy number, (iv) the premium — debited — and the date”, (b) the renewal: “Provide the PMSBY renewal status — for [name], [bank account number] — for the year [year] — including: (i) the renewal date, (ii) the premium — debited — and the date, (iii) the status — active or lapsed”, © the claim: “Provide the PMSBY claim status — for [name], [bank account number] — claim reference [number] — including: (i) the claim date, (ii) the claim amount, (iii) the status — approved, rejected, pending, (iv) the reason — if rejected”, (d) the grievance: “Provide the grievance status — for the complaint — filed on [date] — reference number [number]”.
7. Step 7: Practical tips. (a) maintain the balance (maintain the balance — of Rs 20 — in the bank account — by May 31 — for the auto-renewal), (b) check the status (check the PMSBY portal — for the enrollment — and the renewal — status), © intimate the claim early (intimate the claim — within 30 days — of the accident — to avoid the rejection), (d) keep the documents (keep the FIR — the hospital discharge — and the Aadhaar — ready — for the claim), (e) file RTI (if the enrollment — or the renewal — or the claim — is failed — file RTI — with the bank — or the insurance company), (f) Example: A PMSBY enrollee — met with an accident — and suffered the permanent partial disability — he filed the claim — with the bank — and the insurance company — but the claim — was rejected — for the late intimation — he filed RTI — with the insurance company — the RTI reply showed — that the intimation — was within 30 days — but the bank — had delayed — the forwarding — the insurance company — re-processed the claim — and the amount — of Rs 1 lakh — was paid — within 30 days.

See PMSBY Suraksha Bima and PM Jan Dhan Yojana.