Online Legal Advice from Insaaf99® Online Lawyer Consultation in India
Online Legal Advice from Insaaf99® Online Lawyer Consultation in India
After a loss in the family the members of the family generally need to deal with the overwhelming complexity of legal and financial responsibilities. A surviving member certificate, as well as any other essential documents you might need to get your hands on, will help establish you as a surviving family member from a legal standpoint. In this article, we guide you on how to fill up for a surviving member certificate online in India when it becomes a tedious procedure in times of grief.
A surviving member certificate is an official document issued by the government authorities confirming the identity of surviving family members after the person’s death. The certificate helps demonstrate your familial connection to the deceased beyond what either a death certificate or legal heir certificate would provide.
A surviving member certificate is important to a family faced with this most unfortunate fate. Therefore, the surviving member certificate is important for legal and financial matters in several ways.
Property Transfers: The surviving member certificate helps public authorities carry out the legal transfer of property which belongs to deceased family members to those who survive them.
Pension Claims: Many pension offices need this document to transfer benefits from deceased members into the hands of their surviving eligible beneficiaries.
Bank Accounts: The surviving member certificate makes it possible to gain entry or move funds from bank accounts that belonged to the deceased.
Insurance Claims: The process of obtaining a death certificate is necessary for most life insurance benefit claims.
Government Benefits: The certificate is necessary to access different welfare schemes and survivor benefits and various other government programs.
Without this certificate, survivors often have to face the delays or obstacles in claiming their assets and benefits to which they are rightfully entitled.
Also Read:- Caste Certificate in India: Importance, Process, and Required Documents
With the Digital India initiative more and more states have come on board with online application systems to survive the member’s certificate process. Here we are sharing a step by step process to apply online for your surviving member certificate in the entire India.
Before you apply, you need to understand the legal heir classification and make sure that you qualify for the scheme.
Law gives preference to certain family members in this order:
Class 1 Heirs: Both spouse, daughter, son and mother.
Class 2 Heirs: Class 2 inheritors (as defined above), i.e., father and siblings of the deceased (only if there are no Class 1 heir/s).
General Eligibility Requirements:
• You must be an immediate family member of the deceased (i.e. up through the hierarchy above)
• You will need to have valid identification documents
• With appropriate authorities, the death should be registered
• Plus, you need to have access to all the supporting documents required.
Documents Required for Application
It is very important to complete the essential documents to be able to apply online for a surviving member certificate. For example,
• The original death certificate (government approved) of the deceased.
• Identity proof of the deceased (Aadhaar, voter ID)
• Aadhaar card, PAN card, or voter ID as proof of identity of the applicant.
• Utility bills or rental agreement as proof of residence of the applicant.
• Passport photographs of all applicants as well as surviving family members
• Marriage certificate, birth certificate, etc close proof of the relationship the deceased.
• Ration card or family card (copy if available)
• Surviving family members undertaking affidavit (note: (NB, you may need this for a legal heir certificate not necessarily a surviving member certificate check with local authorities etc.)
Different states in India have their own process on how to apply for a surviving member certificate online. Below is some info on some major state governments.
Delhi
• Visit the official site of www.revenue.delhi.gov.in
• Create a new user account by only using your identity proof
• Enter a onetime password sent on your mobile number to verify your registration.
• Select "Issuance of Surviving Member Certificate" form
• Fill in all details, feed scanned copies of all the required documents.
• Submit the application and get an acknowledgement slip with a reference number.
• Keep the photocopies of all original documents and print the acknowledgment slip
• Documents have to be kept safe & verification can be done at the Sub District Magistrate office (SDM) when asked for.
After the verification of your request, you can download the certificate by your acknowledgment number.
Delhi Regional Services: The service is offered to all regions of Delhi including Shastri Nagar (East Delhi), Jamnagar House (New Delhi), Kapashera (South West Delhi), Alipur (North Delhi), Saket (South Delhi), Shivaji Place (West Delhi), Nand Nagri (North East Delhi), Jhandewalan (West Delhi), Lajpat Nagar (South East Delhi), Kanjhawala (North West Delhi), and Daryaganj (Central Delhi).
Maharashtra
• Go to official Portal (https://aaplesarkar.mahaonline.gov.in)
• Select "Revenue Department Services"
• Select “Surviving Member Certificate” among the offered services.
• Sign up or log on to your account.
• Fill out the form
• Upload copies of mandatory documents.
• Pay the processing fee
• Provide and acquire your acknowledgement receipt.
• Use the verification process as provided in your acknowledgment.
Uttar Pradesh
• Visit http://edistrict.up.gov.in
• Sign up/Log in to your account.
• Click “Revenue Department” on the categories of services list.
• Choose "Surviving Member Certificate" application
• Fill in the application form
• Submit all required documents.
• Pay the application fee online
• Submit the application and keep the reference number.
• Monitor the status of your application using the given application number.
Although individual steps can be different within each state, the common process for how to apply for surviving member certificate online will follow this schema:
Registration: Open an account in the relevant portal
Form Submission: Fill the digital application form
Document Upload: Scan copies of all required on documents
Fee Payment: Pay the processing online.
Verification: There is a need for authority application verification by local authorities.
Certificate Issuance: Download the digital certificate post approval,
In case you would prefer offline approach below are steps
• Acquire the Application Form: Visit the local office of the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) or Tehsildar in your area.
• Document Preparation: Collect all documents that are specified in the document section.
• Form Completion: Carefully and accurately complete the form of the application.
• Submission: Submit the fully-filled form and the necessary documents.
• Fee Payment: Pay the applicable processing fees
• Verification: The authority will check on the documents and may carry out inquiries
• Collection: Upon verifying, you will be accordingly notified of collection of your certificate.
Estimated Timelines and Fees: When you are applying for a surviving member certificate online, most likely you will get:
Processing Time: Depending on the state and verification requirements it can be 7-30 days.
Application Fee: Fee varies from state to state and can be something like ₹30-₹200, visit relevant state portal for confirmation.
Verification Time: State could ask for on-site physical verification from the revenue officer, and this can take additional 3 – 7 days.
Additional Costs: On an engagement with the Common Service Centres, there will be a nominal service charge.
Common Challenges: There may be challenges you face when applying for a surviving member certificate online such as:
Technical Issues: Difficulties with navigation.
Solution: There are numerous Common Service Centres (CSCs) which can be used to submit applications for a small fee.
Document Verification: Physical verification may be still required even with online applications.
Solution: Make original documents readily available, and be ready to answer calls or notice for verification.
Regional Language Barriers: Not all the state portals may be using only the national language.
Solution: Use translation from browsers or request help from bilingual family members.
Processing Delays: Large volumes of application can lead to delays.
Solution: Apply as early as possible and use the tracking function regularly for a monitoring purpose.
Also Read: - Relinquishment Deed in India
Having online knowledge on how to apply for a surviving member certificate is a great relief to administrative pressure during the emotional aftermath of a departing person. The process itself is not very difficult, but, unfortunately, many families do not know the importance of such a document to their legal rights to the deceased’s assets and benefits.
Across India, the process has been digitized and therefore, it is easier, but requirements & processes differ from state to state. By preparing certain documents and taking care of the state-related online application process, you can receive this valuable certificate without wastage of time.
