Pension Proof Struggle

Banks are turning a simple yearly form into an exhausting task, leaving many elderly people anxious and confused.

- Aaqyb Ashraf

Each year, when life certificates are due, Kashmir's elderly get ready for a familiar routine.

They walk into their bank, greet the teller they know, hand over a form, and leave confident their pension is safe.

It was a simple, personal process for decades, until the online system arrived, promising convenience but changing everything.

Many welcomed it because it saved time and avoided long queues. Those comfortable with smartphones use the app easily and enjoy the convenience.

The trouble starts when banks make this the only option, even for those who cannot use it.

Many Kashmiri pensioners enter bank branches hoping to hand over their offline certificate. The response feels cold: "We don't accept offline certificates anymore. Do it online."

Those words hit harder than bank officials realise.

People in their seventies and eighties feel lost. They look around for help, unsure where to go next.

Something that used to be familiar now feels out of reach.