Senior Citizens' Savings Scheme (SCSS)

How to open a Senior Citizens' Savings Scheme (SCSS) account at a post office or bank: who can join, how much you can put in, when interest is paid and how the account is closed.

At the officeOnline

For whom: People in Andhra Pradesh aged 60 or more; retired people aged 55 or more; Defence Services retirees aged 50 or more; the husband or wife of a government employee who died in service; and family members helping them.

Tell us your situation first; then the documents and steps open.

1Your situation

A few questions. We show only the documents and steps your answers need.

Which of these are you?
How old will you be on the day you open the account?
Which of these is true for you?
Will you open the account within three months of receiving the retirement benefits (provident fund, gratuity, leave encashment and the like)?
Will the account be in your name alone, or joint with your husband or wife?

Which of these are you?

Indian citizen living in IndiaIndian citizen living abroad (NRI)OCI cardholderForeign national

How old will you be on the day you open the account?

60 or older55 to 5950 to 54Under 50

Which of these is true for you?

I have retired from my job (on reaching the age, voluntarily or otherwise)I retired from the Defence Services (Army, Navy or Air Force), not as a civilian employeeMy husband or wife was a government employee who died in service at 50 or olderNone of these

Will you open the account within three months of receiving the retirement benefits (provident fund, gratuity, leave encashment and the like)?

Yes, within three monthsNo, more than three months have passed

Not confirmed: The three-month limit is stated plainly for people of 55 to 59 who have retired. For Defence retirees and for the spouse of a government employee who died in service, the rule only says "subject to the fulfilment of other specified conditions". We take these to be the same conditions; confirm at the post office or bank.

Will the account be in your name alone, or joint with your husband or wife?

In my name aloneJointly with my husband or wife

Your answers stay on this phone.

Your situation is complete.

Each step below says who it is for. Confirm yours at the office, then change your answer here.

This route does not apply to your situation

Only Indian citizens who live in India can open an account under this scheme (Government Savings Promotion General Rules 2018, rule 4(1); the declaration in the scheme's Form-1). While you live abroad (as an NRI), you cannot open a new account.

→ While you live abroad there is no way to open a new account under this scheme. For bank accounts for Indians living abroad, see this guide:

→ Opening a bank account (Jan Dhan / zero-balance account)

This route does not apply to your situation

This scheme is only for Indian citizens (rule 4(1)). Under the Home Ministry's notification, OCI cardholders are foreign nationals, not Indian citizens. So OCI cardholders and foreign nationals cannot open this account. If an account holder stops being an Indian citizen, the account counts as closed from the last day of the month before that happened; from then until it is closed, interest is paid at the post office savings account rate (rules 4(4), 9(5)).

This route does not apply to your situation

Under 60, you can join only if you have retired (at 55 or older), retired from the Defence Services (at 50 or older), or are the spouse of a government employee who died in service.

→ Once you are 60 you can open one without these conditions.

This route does not apply to your situation

People who retired from a job other than the Defence Services can open this account only from 55.

→ Once you are 60 you can open one without these conditions.

This route does not apply to your situation

Defence Services retirees can open this account only from 50.

→ Once you are 60 you can open one without these conditions.

This route does not apply to your situation

Under 60, the account must be opened within three months of receiving the retirement benefits, and that time has passed.

→ Once you are 60 you can open one without these conditions.

2Documents you need

Tick the ones you have. They are kept in this browser.

Account opening form (AOF; Form-1 of the scheme)originalIf you don't have it: Ask for it at the post office or bank.Have itNeed it
A recent passport-size photographoriginal · One of each account holder; it is pasted on the application.Have itNeed it
Aadhaar numbercopy · If you do not have Aadhaar yet, proof that you applied for enrolment is accepted; then give the number within six months, or the account stops working until you do.Have itNeed it
PAN card or Form 60copy · Without PAN, Form 60 of the Income Tax Rules. But once the balance is over ₹50,000, you must give your PAN within two months, or the account stops working until you do.Have itNeed it
Proof of date of birthcopy · A certificate showing your date of birth. The application asks for its number, date of issue and issuing authority.Have itNeed it
Proof of identity and addresscopy · Any one of: passport, driving licence, voter ID card, NREGA job card signed by a State Government officer, or a National Population Register letter with your name and address.Have itNeed it
Deposit slip (SB-103)originalIf you don't have it: Available at the post office counter.Have itNeed it
Proof of the date the retirement benefits were paidcopyHave itNeed it
Certificate from the employeroriginal · It must show the details of the retirement, the retirement benefits (or, for an employee who died in service, the financial help given), the post held and how long the person worked there.If you don't have it: Get it from the office where the person worked.Have itNeed it
Husband's or wife's Aadhaar, PAN and photographcopy · The application asks for these as the second account holder.Have itNeed it
Passbook or deposit receiptoriginalHave itNeed it

Nothing to get ready before these steps.

Passbook or deposit receipt · you get this at step

3Your steps

· Do them in order. Tick each one when it is done.

Do this now
Go in person to your nearest post office, or to a bank branch that runs the scheme, and say you want to open a Senior Citizens' Savings Scheme (SCSS) account.
Post offices in Andhra Pradesh come under India Post's Andhra Pradesh Circle (Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam and Kurnool regions).
Where
Post office or bank
Not confirmed: The scheme's application is addressed to a "Post Office/Bank", but we found no current official list of the banks that run the scheme, nor a list of the post offices in Andhra Pradesh that open these accounts. Ask at your post office or bank branch before you go.
Sources: 1, 6, 4, 11
I have done this step
Do this now
If you are 60 or older and your post office savings account has internet banking, you can also open a single account online: log in and choose 'General Services' → 'Service Requests' → 'New Requests' → 'SCSS Accounts - Open a SCSS Account'.
Enter the amount, pay from your savings account and submit with your transaction password; download the deposit receipt. The nominees of your savings account are registered for this account too. Joint accounts, and accounts of people under 60, must be opened at the post office.
Where
India Post internet banking
Open the official page
Not confirmed: These menu names are from a 2023 order; the screens may name them a little differently now. If you have no internet banking, ask your post office how to get it.
Sources: 8, 9, 6
I have done this step
Do this now
Fill in the account opening form, paste your photograph and hand it in with copies of the documents.
Give your mobile number and name your nominees (up to four). If you already have SCSS accounts, the form asks for their details. If you cannot read or sign, or cannot see, go yourself with a person known to the post office; its officer helps you fill in the form.
Where
Post office or bank
Sources: 1, 6, 7, 4
I have done this step
Do this now
Attach the proof of the date the retirement benefits were paid and the certificate from the employer.
The deposit cannot be more than the retirement benefits you received (and the ₹30 lakh limit also applies).
Where
Post office or bank
Not confirmed: The cap at the retirement benefits received is stated for people of 55 to 59 who have retired; ask whether it also applies to Defence retirees and to the spouse of an employee who died in service.
Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4
I have done this step
Do this now
A joint account can only be with your husband or wife.
Eligibility goes by the first holder's age; there is no age limit for the second. The whole deposit counts as the first holder's. If both of you are eligible on your own, each can also open an account in their own name, up to ₹30 lakh in each.
Where
Post office or bank
Sources: 1, 2, 4
I have done this step
Do this now
You make only one deposit in the account: at least ₹1,000, in multiples of ₹1,000.
All your SCSS accounts together cannot hold more than ₹30 lakh. You can pay in cash, by crossed cheque, demand draft or pay order, from your savings account in the same post office, or by electronic transfer. With a cheque, the deposit date is the day the cheque is cleared. Anything over the limit is refunded at once and earns only savings-account interest.
Where
Post office or bank
Not confirmed: The 2019 scheme and the 2018 rules accept cash; we found no separate cash limit for SCSS in them. Before taking a large amount in cash, ask the post office or bank.
Sources: 1, 2, 6, 4
I have done this step
Do this now
Once the account is open, collect the passbook (or deposit receipt) and keep it safe.
You need it to close the account.
Where
Post office or bank
Sources: 1
I have done this step
Do this now
Interest is paid every quarter, on the first working day of April, July, October and January.
From 1 October to 31 December 2026 the rate is 8.2% a year, that is ₹205 a quarter for every ₹10,000. Give the form to have it paid straight into your savings account. Interest you do not collect earns no further interest, but you can collect it any time later. If your interest in a year goes over the set limit, tax (TDS) is deducted, unless you give Form 15G or 15H where it applies to you. The Finance Ministry announces the rates every quarter.
Where
Post office or bank
Not confirmed: The rules we read do not say in so many words that the rate on the day you open the account stays for all five years; when you open it, ask which rate applies and check the passbook. On 1 November 2026 India Post's table was still headed July–September 2026; the Finance Ministry's order of 30 September 2026 says the October–December rates are unchanged. The page does not give the TDS limit; ask at the post office.
Sources: 1, 4, 5
I have done this step
Do this now
After five years, give Form-3 with the passbook to collect the money.
You can ask for it to be put into your savings account, or paid by cheque or draft. A matured account that is neither closed nor extended earns only savings-account interest. After closing, you may open a new account again, within the limit.
Where
Post office or bank
Sources: 1, 3, 4
I have done this step
Do this now
To extend the account by three more years, give Form-4 within one year of maturity.
You can extend again at the end of each three-year block. Whenever you apply, the extension counts from the maturity date. The extended account earns the rate in force on the date of maturity. If you close it within a year of an extension, 1% of the deposit is deducted; after a year, nothing is deducted.
Where
Post office or bank
Sources: 1, 3, 4
I have done this step
Do this now
If you need the money before maturity, give Form-2 to close the account.
Part withdrawals are not allowed. Closed within one year, the interest already paid is taken back from the deposit. Between one and two years, 1.5% of the deposit is deducted. After two years, 1% is deducted.
Where
Post office or bank
Sources: 1, 3, 4
I have done this step
Do this now
If the account holder dies, the nominee or legal heirs give Form-3 to claim the money.
Scheme interest is paid up to the date of death, then savings-account interest. In a joint account, or where the husband or wife is the only nominee, they may apply to continue the same account if they are eligible themselves.
Where
Post office or bank
Sources: 1, 3, 4
I have done this step

All steps done

If something goes wrong

If it is rejected

If the post office refuses to open the account, ask the postmaster why. Then complain to India Post: on its website, at a nearby post office (you get an acknowledgement), or to the call centre on 1800 266 6868 (8 AM to 8 PM, except gazetted holidays).

18002666868

If it is late

For delays, such as interest not credited or the money from a closed account not paid, complain to India Post after the time set for that service has passed and within 60 days of the transaction. If it is not settled in reasonable time, contact the Andhra Pradesh Circle Nodal Officer: pg.ap@indiapost.gov.in, 94910 03332. If still not settled, you can complain on the website of the Directorate of Public Grievances (DPG), Government of India.

9491003332

Also

For a problem with an account opened at a bank, first complain to the bank in writing. If there is no reply in 30 days, or you are not satisfied, complain free of charge to the RBI Ombudsman on cms.rbi.org.in, within 90 days after that. On 14448 they explain how to complain, in Telugu too.

14448

The 13 official pages and papers this guide is written from

Senior Citizens' Savings Scheme, 2019 (G.S.R. 916(E), 12 December 2019), as published by India Post
Senior Citizens' Savings (Amendment) Scheme, 2023 (G.S.R. 240(E), 31 March 2023), circulated by the Department of Posts with SB Order No. 06/2023
Senior Citizen's Savings (Fourth Amendment) Scheme, 2023 (G.S.R. 829(E), 7 November 2023), circulated by the Department of Posts with SB Order No. 22/2023 (14 November 2023)
India Post: Saving Schemes (Senior Citizens Savings Scheme Account details, FAQs on Banking, interest table)
Office Memorandum F.No.1/4/2019-NS: revision of interest rates for Small Savings Schemes (scanned; read by OCR)
Government Savings Promotion General Rules, 2018 (G.S.R. 1003(E), 5 October 2018), as published by India Post
Government Savings Promotion General (Amendment) Rules, 2023 (G.S.R. 238(E), 31 March 2023), circulated with SB Order No. 08/2023 (3 April 2023)
SB Order No. 20/2023: opening of MIS, SCSS and MSSC accounts through DOP Internet Banking
India Post: Net Banking
India Post: Guidelines for Registration of Complaints (last updated 30.10.2026)
India Post: Directory (Andhra Pradesh Circle)
Frequently asked questions: Reserve Bank - Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, 2026
Notification S.O. 1050(E), 4 March 2021: rights of an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholder, under section 7B(1) of the Citizenship Act, 1955 (Gazette of India Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3(ii))