Rule 21 - Claims of nominees or legal heirs - Social Security Certificates Rules, 1982

Claims of nominees or legal heirs. 21. (1) For the purpose of claiming payment of the amount due under rule 16 or 18, as the case may be, the nominee or legal heir of the holder shall make an application to the Postmaster of the office where the certificate stands registered and such application shall be accompanied by- (i) certificate on which payment is claimed; (ii) proof of death of the holder of the certificate; (iii) proof of death of deceased nominee, if any; (iv) death certificate in Form 4 signed by the district collector or the district magistrate, in cases covered by clause (b) of sub-rule (1) of rule 18. (2) If there are more than one nominee or legal heir, as the case may be, they shall give a joint discharge of the certificate at the time of receiving payment. (3) When the nominee is a minor, the person appointed under sub-section (3) of section 6 of the Act, while encashing the certificate, shall certify that the minor is alive and the money is required on behalf of the minor. (4)(a) If a person dies and is at the time of his death the holder of a savings certificate and there is no nomination in force at the time of his death and probate of his will or letters of administration of his estate or a succession certificate granted under the Indian Succession Act, 1925 (39 of 1925), is not, within three months of the death of the holder, produced to the authority specified in the Table to clause (b), then if the sum due on the savings certificate does not exceed Rs. 20,000 (inclusive of the sum due on all savings certificates issued from time to time held by the deceased), the authority specified in the Table to clause (b) may pay the same to any person appearing to it to be entitled to receive the sum or to administer the estate of the deceased. (b) The authority specified in Table below shall be competent to sanction claims up to the limit noted against each on the death of the holder of the savings certificate without production of the probate of his will or letters of administration of his estate or succession certificate granted under the Indian Succession Act, 1925 (39 of 1925). Name of authority Limit Rs. (i) [Departmental Sub-Postmasters in Time Scale Post Offices. ] 500 (ii) [Sub-Postmasters of Lower Selection Grade Post Offices.] 1,000 (iii) Non-Gazetted Head Postmasters and Sub-Postmasters in Higher Selection Grade 2,000 (iv) Deputy Postmasters (Non-Gazetted in Higher Selection Grade) and Assistant Presidency Postmasters (Non-Gazetted in Higher Selection Grade) in the Presidency Post Offices in charge of Savings Bank Branch 2,000 (v) Deputy Postmasters (Gazetted in Head Offices and Deputy Presidency Postmasters in the Presidency Post Offices in charge of Savings Bank Branch 5,000 (vi) Gazetted Postmasters/Superintendents of Post Offices/Senior Superintendents of Post Offices/Presidency Postmasters 10,000 (vii) Heads of Postal Circles/Regional Directors 20,000