I submitted my PLI maturity claim six months ago but the amount has not been credited. What RTI questions will help identify the cause?

A maturity claim that remains unsettled for six months almost certainly has an identifiable bottleneck — either at the servicing post office, the Postal Circle office, or the Directorate of PLI. Through RTI, ask: (1) the current stage and status of the maturity claim for policy number [XXX] submitted on [Date]; (2) the name and designation of the officer currently holding the file; (3) whether any deficiency or document was found in the claim — and if so, whether a deficiency letter was issued (and the date and method of dispatch); (4) the prescribed timeline under PLI rules for settlement of a maturity claim and whether that timeline has been breached; (5) whether the maturity amount has been computed — and if yes, the figure. The RTI response creates an official record of the delay and compels the officer to account for it. It often prompts settlement faster than a complaint alone.

My father's PLI death claim was rejected citing a suspicious death or suicide clause. What can RTI establish about the investigation basis?

PLI policies generally exclude suicide within one year of commencement, and death claims may be scrutinised when the cause of death is disputed. If a death claim is rejected on the basis of suicide or suspicious circumstances, RTI can reveal: (1) a copy of the claim rejection order and the exact policy clause or departmental circular relied upon; (2) whether a field investigation was conducted — and if yes, a copy of the investigation report; (3) the name and designation of the officer who commissioned the investigation and the officer who passed the rejection order; (4) whether the insured's medical history or post-mortem report was obtained and formed part of the decision; (5) all correspondence between the post office, the Postal Circle, and any external agency relating to this claim. With this information, the family can assess whether the rejection was factually and legally well-founded and frame a first appeal or legal challenge on the merits.

My PLI policy lapsed because I missed several premium payments. How does RTI help me find out the exact conditions and charges for revival?

PLI and RPLI policies that lapse due to non-payment of premiums can be revived within a prescribed period, subject to conditions set by the Department of Posts. The revival terms — arrear premiums payable, revival fee, interest, medical examination requirement if the lapse is long — are policy-specific and sometimes differ between PLI and RPLI, and between policy types. Instead of relying on verbal information from post office staff, file an RTI with the CPIO of the Chief Postmaster General of your Postal Circle and ask: (1) the exact number of months of arrear premiums to be paid to revive policy number [XXX]; (2) the revival fee or interest applicable as on [Date]; (3) whether a medical examination certificate is required for revival and, if so, the prescribed form; (4) the last date by which the policy can be revived without being made void; and (5) a copy of the applicable revival rules or circulars. This gives you a written, authoritative basis — the DoP is bound by what its own CPIO discloses.

The post office is paying the PLI death claim to someone claiming to be the legal heir, but I am the registered nominee. What does RTI establish?

Nomination under a PLI policy designates the person who is entitled to receive the claim amount. A nominee has the right to receive the payment; however, the nominee holds the money as a trustee for the legal heirs under Indian succession law, and this distinction is sometimes a source of dispute. Through RTI, ask: (1) the name and relationship of the nominee currently recorded on the policy as on the date of the insured's death; (2) the date on which the nomination was registered and whether any subsequent change of nomination was recorded; (3) whether a succession certificate or court order was submitted in this case, and if so, a copy; (4) the specific DoP circular or rule under which the payment is being or will be made to the claimant; and (5) the name and designation of the officer approving the payment and the date of approval. RTI cannot itself stop a payment, but it establishes the factual record needed to file a First Appeal or approach a civil court.

What do I do if the Department of Posts does not respond to my RTI within 30 days?

File a First Appeal under Section 19(1) of the RTI Act with the First Appellate Authority (FAA) — an officer senior to the CPIO within the Directorate of PLI or the relevant Postal Circle — within 30 days of the date of the decision or expiry of the 30-day response period, whichever is applicable. The FAA must decide the first appeal within 30 days (extendable to 45 days with reasons). If the FAA's response is also absent or unsatisfactory, file a Second Appeal under Section 19(3) with the Central Information Commission (CIC) within 90 days of the date of the FAA's decision or expiry of the FAA's response period. The Department of Posts is a Central Government body — the second appeal always goes to the CIC, never a State Information Commission. The CIC can direct disclosure of information and impose a penalty of up to ₹25,000 on the erring CPIO under Section 20 of the RTI Act.

Home/Guides/How to File RTI with Department of Posts for PLI and RPLI — Claim Rejection, Maturity Delay and Policy Disputes

Central Government

How to File RTI with Department of Posts for PLI and RPLI — Claim Rejection, Maturity Delay and Policy Disputes

Step-by-step guide to file an RTI with the Department of Posts (Ministry of Communications) specifically for Postal Life Insurance (PLI) and Rural Postal Life Insurance (RPLI) — covering maturity claim delays, death claim rejection basis, lapsed policy revival conditions and charges, bonus accumulation disputes, nomination disputes, and loan against PLI policy. Includes a ready-to-use sample RTI draft.

Updated 24 May 2026

Quick Facts

MinistryMinistry of Communications

Address RTI ToCPIO, Directorate of Postal Life Insurance, Chanakyapuri Post Office Building, New Delhi – 110021 / CPIO, Chief Postmaster General (relevant circle)

Application Fee₹10 under RTI (Regulation of Fee and Cost) Rules, 2005. Free for BPL cardholders.

Response Time30 days from receipt (Section 7(1), RTI Act 2005). 48 hours if the matter involves life or liberty.

File Online Athttps://rtionline.gov.in

All information on this page is based on the Right to Information Act, 2005 (Act No. 22 of 2005) and the RTI (Regulation of Fee and Cost) Rules, 2005. First Appeal: Section 19(1). Second Appeal to CIC/SIC: Section 19(3).

Postal Life Insurance (PLI) is the oldest life insurance scheme in Asia, established in 1884 originally for postal employees and later extended to Central and State Government employees, public sector undertaking (PSU) employees, defence personnel, and employees of nationalised banks and educational institutions. Rural Postal Life Insurance (RPLI) was introduced in 1995 to extend life insurance coverage to the rural population regardless of employment. Both schemes are administered by the Department of Posts, Ministry of Communications, through the Directorate of Postal Life Insurance in New Delhi and a network of Postal Circles across the country.

The Department of Posts is a public authority under Section 2(h) of the Right to Information Act, 2005. Every PLI or RPLI policyholder, nominee, or legal heir has the right to seek information about their policy, claim, bonus, or any departmental decision under the RTI Act.

Note: A separate guide on this site covers India Post for parcel delivery, Speed Post, money orders, and Post Office Savings Schemes (NSC/KVP/PPF). This guide focuses specifically on PLI and RPLI insurance policy disputes — claim rejection, maturity delays, policy revival, bonus, nomination, and loan against policy.

PLI vs. RPLI: Key Differences

Feature	PLI (Postal Life Insurance)	RPLI (Rural Postal Life Insurance)
Eligible persons	Central/State Govt employees, defence personnel, PSU employees, staff of nationalised banks/universities, local body employees	Rural population (any Indian resident in a rural area, regardless of employment)
Maximum sum assured	₹50 lakh	₹10 lakh
Scheme launch	1884	1995
Administering office	Directorate of Postal Life Insurance, New Delhi	Directorate of Postal Life Insurance, New Delhi (via Postal Circles)
RTI second appeal	CIC (Central Government body)	CIC (Central Government body)

PLI/RPLI Policy Types

Policy Name	Type	Key Feature
Suraksha	Whole Life Assurance	Sum assured + bonus payable on death; option to surrender after 4 years
Santosh	Endowment Assurance	Sum assured + bonus payable on policy maturity or on death, whichever is earlier
Suvidha	Convertible Whole Life	Whole life policy convertible to endowment after 5 years
Yugal Suraksha	Joint Life Assurance (Endowment)	Covers two lives (spouses); sum assured + bonus payable on first death or joint maturity
Bal Jeevan Bima	Children's Policy	Available to children of PLI policyholders (age 5–20); sum assured + bonus payable on maturity or death

Common RTI Use Cases

Issue	What to Ask	What to Expect
Maturity claim submitted but not credited	Claim status, stage, officer responsible, prescribed settlement timeline	Written confirmation of where the file is stuck and who is accountable
Death claim rejected	Copy of rejection order, policy clause relied upon, investigation report if any	Factual basis for rejection — allows assessment of whether to appeal
Death claim delayed	Stage of processing, date of receipt of claim documents, officer responsible	Identifies procedural bottleneck or missing document
Bonus accumulation dispute	Year-by-year bonus declared, total bonus credited, final additional bonus included	Verifiable breakdown to cross-check against policy maturity letter
Lapsed policy revival	Arrear months payable, revival fee/interest, medical examination requirement, last revival date	Exact figures in writing — avoids relying on verbal advice from counter staff
Nomination dispute	Nominee name and relationship on record, date of nomination, any subsequent change	Establishes who is the registered nominee as on the date of claim
Loan against policy	Loan amount sanctioned, interest rate, outstanding balance	Written loan account status useful if final claim is being reduced for loan recovery

Where to File

PLI and RPLI RTI applications are filed on rtionline.gov.in. There are two levels at which the CPIO operates:

Directorate of Postal Life Insurance (New Delhi) — for policy-level disputes, national policy questions, decisions by the Directorate, or appeals that have already been addressed at the Circle level.

Chief Postmaster General (Postal Circle) — for claims and policy matters handled at the state-level Postal Circle, which is the first point of contact for most PLI/RPLI disputes.

Step-by-step filing on rtionline.gov.in:

Go to rtionline.gov.in and click Submit Request
Select Ministry of Communications
For Public Authority, select Department of Posts — then choose the relevant Postal Circle (e.g., Delhi Postal Circle, Maharashtra Postal Circle) if your matter is at the Circle level, or select the Directorate of Postal Life Insurance if filing centrally
In the application text, clearly state your PLI/RPLI policy number, the name of the insured, the type of policy, and number each question separately
Pay ₹10 via net banking, debit/credit card, or UPI. BPL cardholders are exempt — attach a copy of your BPL card
Submit and note the Registration Number — needed to track the application and file appeals

You may also send a written application by post to the CPIO at the Directorate of Postal Life Insurance or the relevant Chief Postmaster General's office, along with an Indian Postal Order (IPO) for ₹10 drawn in favour of the Pay and Accounts Officer of the Department of Posts.

What Specific Information Can You Ask For?

Maturity claim status — current stage of your maturity claim, the prescribed settlement timeline, and the officer responsible for the file
Death claim rejection basis — copy of the rejection order, the policy clause or departmental circular relied upon, and any investigation report
Bonus accumulation — year-by-year reversionary bonus declared by the Department of Posts for your policy type, the total bonus credited on your policy, and the final additional bonus (terminal bonus) included in the claim computation
Revival conditions — for a lapsed policy: the number of arrear premium months to be cleared, the revival fee or interest, whether a fresh medical examination certificate is required, and the last permissible date for revival
Nomination on record — the name and relationship of the registered nominee, the date of nomination, and details of any change of nomination subsequently recorded
Loan balance — the original loan amount sanctioned against the policy, the applicable rate of interest, and the outstanding balance (principal + interest) as on a specified date

Appeals

First Appeal (Section 19(1)): If you receive no response within 30 days, or if the response is incomplete or unsatisfactory, file a First Appeal with the First Appellate Authority (FAA) — an officer senior to the CPIO at the Directorate of PLI or the Postal Circle — within 30 days of the date of the decision or expiry of the 30-day response period, whichever is applicable. The FAA must decide within 30 days (extendable to 45 days).

Second Appeal (Section 19(3)): If the FAA's response is also absent or unsatisfactory, file a Second Appeal with the Central Information Commission (CIC) within 90 days of the date of the FAA's decision or expiry of the FAA's response period. The Department of Posts is a Central Government body — the second appeal always goes to the CIC, not any State Information Commission. The CIC can direct disclosure and impose a penalty of up to ₹25,000 on the CPIO under Section 20 of the RTI Act.

Practical Tips

Quote your policy number in every question — PLI and RPLI records are filed by policy number; an application without the policy number is likely to be returned as deficient
Specify the type of policy (Suraksha, Santosh, etc.) — different policy types have different bonus structures, maturity rules, and revival conditions
File at the right level — most PLI/RPLI claim matters are processed at the Postal Circle level; start with the CPIO of the Chief Postmaster General of your Circle. If the dispute involves a policy-level decision by the Directorate, file at the Directorate of PLI in New Delhi
For death claims, the nominee or legal heir can file — RTI applicant need not be the insured; a nominee or legal heir can seek information about the policy and claim on behalf of the deceased
Keep the original policy bond handy — the policy number, commencement date, and sum assured printed on it are the key identifiers needed in your RTI application

Sample RTI Application Draft

To,
The Central Public Information Officer (CPIO),
Directorate of Postal Life Insurance,
Chanakyapuri Post Office Building,
New Delhi – 110 021

(Alternatively: CPIO, Office of the Chief Postmaster General, [Circle Name] Postal Circle, [Address])

Subject: Application under the Right to Information Act, 2005 — PLI/RPLI Policy No. [XXX] — Maturity Claim Status and Policy Details

Sir/Madam,

I, [Your Full Name], [designation and employer name if filing for PLI / "resident of [Village/District/State]" if filing for RPLI], submit this application under Section 6 of the Right to Information Act, 2005, and seek the following information:

Policy details:
  Name of Insured: [Full Name]
  PLI / RPLI Policy Number: [Policy Number]
  Type of Policy: [Suraksha / Santosh / Suvidha / Yugal Suraksha / Bal Jeevan Bima]
  Date of Commencement: [DD/MM/YYYY]
  Sum Assured: ₹[Amount]
  Name and address of the issuing / servicing Post Office: [Post Office Name and Address]

Information sought:

1. The current status of the maturity / survival benefit / death claim submitted on [DD/MM/YYYY] in respect of the above policy. If the claim has not been settled, the specific stage at which it is pending and the name and designation of the officer responsible.

2. If the claim has been rejected or partially settled, a copy of the rejection or settlement order and the specific grounds — including the policy clause or circular relied upon to reject or reduce the claim.

3. The total bonus accumulated on the above policy from inception to [DD/MM/YYYY] — including year-by-year bonus rates declared by the Department of Posts, the bonus amount credited per year, and the total reversionary bonus and final additional bonus, if any, included in the settlement amount.

4. The nomination currently recorded on the above policy: the name of the nominee, their relationship to the insured, and the date on which the nomination was registered. If any nomination change has been recorded, please provide details of each change with the date.

5. [For lapsed / revival] The conditions applicable to revive the above policy (which lapsed due to non-payment of premium), including the number of months for which arrear premiums are payable, the revival fee or interest applicable, and the latest date by which revival is permissible under the policy rules.

6. [For loan against policy] The outstanding loan balance (principal and interest) against the above policy as on [DD/MM/YYYY], the date on which the loan was sanctioned, the loan amount originally disbursed, and the applicable rate of interest.

I am enclosing the application fee of Rs. 10 [via online payment; Reference No.: [Payment Ref]].

As per Section 7(1) of the RTI Act, 2005, I request that the information be provided within 30 days of receipt of this application.

Yours faithfully,
[Your Full Name]
[Your Address]
[Your Mobile Number]
[Your Email Address]
Date: [DD/MM/YYYY]

Replace all text in [square brackets] with your actual details before filing. Do not include the brackets in your submission.

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