Seniors just lift a finger for pension cash

Public sector workers who retired after 2016 will be able to use their fingerprints from January 21, rather than the annual ‘life certificate’ to continue to receive pensions.

The Department of Pensions says fingerprints could help verify a pensioner’s details while minimising overpayments following the death of a pensioner.

According to K R Pathmapriya, additional director general of National Pensions Department,

there are Rs. 650,000 pensioners and the monthly expenditure is about Rs 19 billion.

To authenticate the pensioner’s identity, they are asked to register every year through the Divisional Secretariat following a recommendation of the Grama Niladhari.

The new system will allow the use of fingerprints to verify the identity, after registering.

Pensioners can access the system by producing the National Identity Card/ Pension Identity Card.

Mr Pathmapriya said: “Each individual's photograph and the fingerprint will be recorded. So with this mechanism they can verify their fingerprint and verify the identity as it connects to the main server and updates the information of the pensioner.’’

Only those who retired after 2016 will be eligible to use the facility, he said.

He said 26 divisional secretaries and 40 selected government and private banks in certain districts where most of the pensioners live, provide the mechanism.

At the moment 2,500 pensioners have been registered, he said.

This was implemented to cut down millions in pension funds from being drawn through fraudulent means and also to use IT to improve public sector efficiency.

Mr Pathmapriya said pensioners should continue to use their mobile number because information will be provided to that number.

To authenticate the pensioner’s identity, they are asked to register every year through the Divisional Secretariat following a recommendation of the Grama Niladhari.