They saved quietly, consistently, and with purpose. But without proper documentation, those savings can vanish into bureaucracy.
What should be a straightforward process of accessing savings meant for education, healthcare, or security can quickly become a maze of paperwork, legal fees, and dead ends.
The Reason?
No mention of post office savings accounts in the deceased’s will.
Whether it’s a Senior Citizens Savings Scheme (SCSS), Public Provident Fund (PPF), or National Savings Certificate (NSC), these accounts are often left undocumented. No nominee. No records. No clear line of inheritance. And families pay the price-in time, money, and stress.
Here’s what really happens when these accounts aren’t properly included in your estate planning.
Read Also: Post Office Saving Schemes in India 2025
1. The Dormant Account Dilemma (Delhi)
A family in Delhi had no idea their late father held multiple post office accounts, including NSCs and a Senior Citizens Savings Scheme. Since he hadn’t registered any nominations or listed the accounts in his will, they only found out by chance-after the accounts had become dormant due to three years of inactivity.
What should have been a secure cushion turned into a drawn-out legal battle. The family had to apply for a succession certificate, gather extensive documentation, and navigate bureaucratic red tape. They also lost potential interest accrual and had to spend significantly on legal fees. Some accounts are still unclaimed and possibly lost because no one even knew they existed.
2. The Unclaimed NSC Certificates (Mumbai)
A widow in Mumbai was devastated to learn, years after her husband’s passing, that he had invested in several National Savings Certificates. Since he never told her, and they weren’t mentioned in his will, she had no idea they existed.
By the time she found out, the NSCs had been marked dormant by the post office.
The process to reclaim them was long and exhausting: multiple visits, a required succession certificate, and endless form submissions. It took over a year, during which inflation and admin costs eroded the certificates’ value. A timely mention in the will could’ve saved her months of anxiety and unnecessary financial loss.
3. The Legal Heirship Maze (Lucknow)
In Lucknow, siblings found themselves caught in a web of legal requirements after their mother’s death. She had invested in the Post Office Monthly Income Scheme (POMIS), but hadn’t nominated anyone or listed it in her will.
The only way to access the money? High Court intervention for a succession certificate. That took 18 months.
In the meantime, they couldn’t access the funds they desperately needed. On top of that, court and lawyer fees carved a chunk out of their inheritance. What should’ve been simple turned into a frustrating, expensive delay.
4. The Forgotten Recurring Deposit (Uttar Pradesh)
In a small town in UP, a grandfather opened a recurring deposit account for his grandchildren’s education. It was meant to support their future.
But he never mentioned it in his will-and the passbook got lost.
The family didn’t even know the account existed. By the time they learned about it, the funds had already been transferred to the government’s unclaimed deposits pool. The grandchildren missed out on the educational help their grandfather intended, and the family had no legal recourse due to lack of documentation.
Read Also: Don’t Forget Your Bank Accounts When Writing a Will
5. The Post Office Embezzlement Case (Varanasi)
This one was even worse.
In Varanasi, an embezzlement scandal exposed how over 50 post office accounts, including some belonging to deceased individuals, had been drained by corrupt officials. Families trying to claim the funds discovered the savings were gone.
The common thread? Most of the accounts weren’t documented in wills. No one knew they existed. No nominees had been listed. This made it almost impossible to prove rightful ownership.
Some families lost their life savings. Others are still fighting in court. And many were too late.
6. The Delayed Settlement (Bangalore)
In Bangalore, a family couldn’t access a deceased relative’s Public Provident Fund (PPF) account. The account wasn’t mentioned in the will. There was no registered nominee.
The post office required a probate of the will or a succession certificate-a process that took nearly two years.
During that time, the funds remained frozen. The family faced severe financial strain, lost out on accrued interest, and spent countless hours visiting government offices. All because a critical asset was left undocumented.
Why Do These Stories Matter?
These aren’t rare exceptions. They’re happening across India-and the world-every day.
People work hard, invest wisely, and think they’ve done enough. But when savings schemes, certificates, and investments are missing from a will, everything can fall apart.
Let’s break down what actually causes these delays:
- No Nominee Registered: Even if an account exists, without a nominee it can’t be released without legal documentation.
- Not Mentioned in Will: If the asset isn’t named, it becomes part of a long inheritance verification process.
- Lost or Forgotten Accounts: If heirs don’t know where to look, money can go unclaimed-or get stolen.
- Court Procedures Are Slow: Obtaining a succession certificate or probate can take months or years, especially in rural or overburdened court systems.
- Documentation Gaps: Without passbooks, account numbers, or location details, heirs are left guessing.
All of this causes financial loss, emotional stress, and sometimes irreparable damage-just when families are at their most vulnerable.
It’s Not Just About Writing a Will
Having a will is important-but it’s not enough.
If your will doesn’t specifically mention your post office saving schemes, digital wallets, or financial instruments, your heirs may face delays, denial, or worse.
It’s not just about who gets what. It’s about where it’s kept, how to claim it, and what’s legally required to access it.
Mitt Arv’s Asset Vault: A Smarter Way to Protect Your Legacy
This is where Mitt Arv steps in-with a solution that’s secure, simple, and incredibly powerful.
With Asset Vault, you can:
- List and store all your post office saving schemes, NSCs, SCSS, PPFs, MIS accounts, and more
- Upload key documents like passbooks, investment certificates, and nomination forms
- Add legal instructions that clarify exactly who should get what
- Share secure access with your family or executor
- Ensure nothing is forgotten, missed, or lost
Whether it’s one account or twenty, local or national, digital or physical-Mitt Arv’s Asset Vault is your single point of truth.
Your Legacy Deserves Clarity
When we leave this world, we don’t just leave behind money. We leave behind memories, intentions, and the hope that we’ve made life easier for the ones we love.
But when accounts go unmentioned, unrecorded, or undocumented, it leads to confusion, loss, and pain.
Don’t let that happen.
Take the time now to include every account in your estate plan-especially post office savings schemes. These are some of the most commonly forgotten, and the hardest to access without documentation.
And let Mitt Arv help you do it right.
With the Asset Vault, your secure space for protecting your legacy and your family’s future.
Start your Asset Vault today at Mitt Arv and make sure your silence never becomes their struggle.