LIC and the Post Office are renowned organisations that offer welfare schemes for Indian citizens. LIC offers various insurance plans ranging from pure protection plans, i.e., term plans, to savings and investment plans. The company shows a strong presence in both the urban and rural sectors of India. Post Office schemes are also trusted, government-backed savings options that offer secure and steady returns, especially popular in rural and semi-urban areas.
Postal Life Insurance was founded on 1 February 1884. Initially, it was launched for the benefit of Post Office employees. The Post Office Monthly Income Scheme is now available for defence personnel, state and central government employees, etc. LIC, on the other hand, was launched on 1 September 1956. It became the household name for insurance in India. Both provide life insurance policies, and to make your selection easy, here is a comparative analysis of LIC Jeevan Shanti and Post Office MIS. Let's understand both plans in detail:
LIC of India launched its pension cum investment plan, LIC Jeevan Shanti on its 62nd anniversary. It is a single-premium deferred annuity plan that provides an option to select between joint and single-life deferred annuity plans. The death or survival benefits are fixed and payable as per the Annuity chosen at the beginning of the policy. Whereas the MIS scheme in the post office (POMIS) is an investment plan that offers guaranteed returns of 7.4% per year to the investor. The primary benefits of the scheme are capital protection, a minimal investment amount to begin with and the reinvestment facility. The POMIS allows you to open a joint account in which all the members shall have an equal share in the investment. In this, no TDS deduction is applicable, but the interest earned is taxable. POMIS also offers an option to appoint a nominee in case of the policyholder's unfortunate death.
Here is the table that illustrates the comparison between LIC Jeevan Shanti and Post office MIS: Â
ParametersÂ
LIC Jeevan Shanti Plan
Post Office MISÂ
Type of PlanÂ
It is a pension plan with two options: 1. Deferred annuity for single life 2. Deferred annuity for Joint LifeÂ
Post Office MIS is an investment plan that provides 7.4% per annum of guaranteed returns.Â
BenefitsÂ
The rates of annuity are guaranteed at the starting of the plan. The annuities are payable after the time of deferment throughout the Annuitant lifetime.
It offers you fixed income every month that can become your income source for a long duration.Â
Entry AgeÂ
Minimum Entry Age –30 years Maximum Entry Age for Deferred Annuity – 79 yearsÂ
Entry Age – 10 years A 10-year-old minor can open a POMIS account in his name.Â
Maturity/Vesting ageÂ
Maturity Age - 31 years – 80 yearsÂ
Maturity – POMIS account gets closed on expiry of 5 years from the opening date.Â
Purchase amount
Min. - Rs 1.5 Lakh Max.- No Limit
Min. - Rs 1,000 Max.- Rs 9 lakh for single and 15 Lakh for joint account
Who are eligible?Â
In the case of Joint life annuity, grandparents, parents, children, and grandchildren, spouse or siblings are eligible.Â
A single adultÂ
Joint account for up to 3 adultsÂ
A guardian can open an account on his/her child/minor name, or person with an unsound mind.Â
Mode of PaymentÂ
Yearly, half-yearly, quarterly, and monthlyÂ
Regular premium payment
Death BenefitÂ
In LIC Jeevan Shanti, the beneficiary will receive the death benefit. He/she will get the highest of:Â
The purchase price plus Accumulated additional death benefit minus Amount of total annuity payable till the death date.Â
105 percent of the purchase price.Â
In the Post Office Monthly Income Scheme, if the account holder passes away before maturity, the account will be closed, and the death benefit will be payable to the nominee or legal heirs. Interest will be paid up to the preceding month.
Buying ProcessÂ
The plan can be purchased online as well as offline. You can visit www.licindia.in for buying a policy online.Â
No online options are available yet. You can buy this plan offline by visiting the nearest post office. Downloads the forms related to this policy from www.indiapost.gov.inÂ
Tax BenefitsÂ
Premiums paid are eligible for deduction u/s 80C up to Rs 1.5 Lakh.
No tax benefit is applicableÂ
Surrender/ Early Closure
It can be surrendered at any time during the policy term.Â
Before 1 year: No Closure Between 1-3 years: Closure after 2% deduction from the principal amount Between 3-5 years: Closure after 1% deduction from the principal amount
How to Open A POMIS Account?
As Post Offices do not offer online facilities to their customers, so here is a step-to-step guide about how to open Post office Monthly Income Scheme (POMIS) account offline:
Open an account in a post officeÂ
Take the POMIS form from the Post officeÂ
Fill in all the details required in the form and submit it along with passport size photographs, ID photocopy, and address proof.Â
Always bring the original documents with you for detailed verificationÂ
Then, get your form signed by the witness or nominee.Â
The initial deposit will be done by cash or cheque.Â
After the approval of all the details, the Post office official will provide you all the documents related to your accounting opening process.
At Last
LIC Jeevan Shanti and Post Office Monthly Income Scheme (POMIS), both offer life insurance policies with unique benefits. The former is an investment cum pension scheme and the latter only offers the investment scheme. POMIS plans are ideal for risk-averse investors. But LIC offers an online and offline mode to buy the policy whereas Post office MIS has not started the online facility yet. Assess the insurance requirements and make an informed choice. Both plans are ideal options for a customer, the selection depends entirely on the customer’s requirements.
Ans: Both LIC and the POMIS offer reliable savings and income options, but the better choice depends on your needs. If you prefer guaranteed monthly income with low-risk investors, the Post Office Monthly Income Scheme (POMIS) is a good option, especially for retirees. On the other hand, LIC Jeevan Shanti is better for those looking for a lifelong pension with flexible annuity options.
Q: Is Post Office Monthly Income Scheme good?
Ans: Yes, the Post Office MIS scheme is a good choice for those seeking safe and regular income. With the MIS interest rate of 7.40% p.a. (as of January 2025), it is ideal for conservative investors. The Post Office Monthly Income Scheme for senior citizens is especially popular due to its reliability and easy access through local post offices.
Q: Is TDS deducted on Post Office MIS?
Ans: No, TDS is not deducted on interest earned from the Post Office Monthly Income Scheme (POMIS).
Q: What is the benefit of LIC Jeevan Shanti?
Ans: The LIC Jeevan Shanti plan offers guaranteed lifetime income with flexible annuity options. The LIC New Jeevan Shanti version also includes options for joint annuity and taking the plan for a dependent with a disability. The death benefit of this plan can also be used to buy an immediate annuity for the disabled dependent.
*All savings are provided by the insurer as per the IRDAI approved insurance plan. Standard T&C Apply
^Trad plans with a premium above 5 lakhs would be taxed as per applicable tax slabs post 31st march 2023
+Returns Since Inception of LIC Growth Fund
~Source - Google Review Rating available on:- http://bit.ly/3J20bXZ
++Returns are 10 years returns of Nifty 100 Index benchmark
˜Top plans are based on annualized premium, for bookings made through https://www.policybazaar.com in FY 25. Policybazaar does not endorse, rate or recommend any particular insurer or insurance product offered by any insurer. This list of plans listed here comprise of insurance products offered by all the insurance partners of Policybazaar. For a complete list of insurers in India refer to the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India website, www.irdai.gov.in