How do I claim my father's NPS account after his death?
For a private-sector or self-employed subscriber, the entire accumulated corpus is paid as a lump sum to the nominee, or to the legal heirs if there was no nomination — there is no compulsory annuity on death. The claim is filed through the subscriber's point of presence or nodal office with the death certificate and the claimant's KYC and bank proof. Government-sector subscribers' families are treated differently, with a family pension option under the government's rules.
Who receives the corpus
The nominee recorded in the account, in the shares stated. If no nominee was registered, the legal heirs, on a legal heir certificate or succession certificate depending on the amount and the nodal office's requirements. For all-citizen and corporate subscribers the full corpus is withdrawable; the rule that part of the corpus must buy an annuity applies to the subscriber's own exit, not to a death.
Filing the claim
The death withdrawal form is submitted to the point of presence, bank or nodal office that services the account, with the death certificate, the claimant's identity and address proof, PAN, a cancelled cheque, and the subscriber's PRAN details. The nodal office verifies and forwards it to the central recordkeeping agency, which processes the payout to the claimant's bank account.
Government employees
Families of central and many state government subscribers can opt for a family pension under the government's own rules instead of the NPS corpus, in which case the accumulated NPS amount is returned to the government. Which option is better depends on the family's circumstances and is worth a careful comparison before choosing, because it is not reversible.
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Last reviewed 2026-08-31. This is general information, not legal advice. Institution requirements change — confirm before you file.