Widows, divorced women, and destitute women usually find it difficult to make a living around themselves, especially in the presence of responsibilities over their shoulders. Acknowledging the plight of such women, the government of Kerala decided to extend a helping hand.

The Kerala Widow Pension Scheme 2020 is a widow pension scheme that was originally implemented as Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme.

How can one apply for the scheme?

Applicants interested in applying for the scheme must know the following steps in the application process.

  1. In the prescribed application format, the applicant has to submit the application for pension to the concerned Grama Panchayat/Municipality/Corporation secretary.
  2. The enquiry into the application should ideally be within one month after the submission of application.
  3. The beneficiary list would then be sent to the district collector or the officer appointed by the district collector

Eligibility criteria for the Kerala widow pension scheme 2020

  1. The applicant should either be a widow or divorced or whose husband has been reported missing for over 7 years.
  2. The applicant should not have remarried
  3. If the applicant is found to be receiving benefits from any social welfare pensions, then the application would be considered invalid.
  4. The applicant should procure convincing proof of the fact that there is no one from his/her family to look after him/her.
  5. No person shall be considered eligible if the person resorts to habitual begging
  6. The applicant would not be considered eligible for the scheme if the person is admitted to a poor home.
  7. The applicant would not be considered if the family annual income of the applicant is or less than ₹100000/-

Steps to apply for the scheme

If you qualify for the benefits of the scheme, here is how you can go about it.

In conclusion

The Government of Kerala is cognizant of the fact that a widow would have to face a lot of difficulties just to get by. In the absence of assistance, it gets really difficult for widows as they also have to go through immense financial and societal turbulence.

Through this scheme, the state government aims to contribute to the welfare of such women and empower them to be something more than what their present predicament forces them to be.