Welfare Pension: Eligibility, Enrollment Process And Everything You Need To Know

Welfare pension is a type of government-provided financial aid to the retired individuals of India, that allows an inflow of cash in retirement, ensuring financial stability. The pension schemes are all regulated by the social welfare department. These welfare schemes vary from state to state, where each state provides a different amount of pension to the pensioners. Old age pension is a way to provide with aid to the poor and retired elderly in many states like Haryana, Andhra Prades, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Bihar, Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir, etc. There exist many state welfare pension schemes like Jeevan Rekha Pension Scheme in Kerala, the old Age Samman Pension Scheme in Haryana, the Mukhyamantri Vridhjan Yojana for Bihar, etc.

Eligibility

Eligibility criteria for welfare pension schemes vary from state to state here are common eligibility criteria for the scheme.

• The pensioner should be of legal retirement age mostly between 60 to 65 in India

• The retiree should be a permanent resident of the state to collect that state’s welfare pension. For example, to collect old age samman pension you need to be a resident of Haryana

• Pensioners should belong to the below-poverty line economic strata and not be enrolled in any other state-provided pension scheme

• The beneficiary’s annual income should be Rs. 2,00,000 or below to qualify as a pensioner

• The beneficiary should have a government ID such as Aadhaar card, PAN card, etc.

Enrollment Process

The digital age has made it possible for pensioners to apply for a pension through the online pension portal of the respective state. An eligible beneficiary residing in Haryana can apply for the pension via the state’s portal named Jeevan Rekha Pension Web Portal. Every state has its pension portal to simplify the application process.

Here are the steps for enrollment in a welfare scheme. 

• The application process includes creating log-in credentials through contact details such as a registered phone number or email and creating a suitable password

• The beneficiary then has to log in through the created credentials and fill details

• The details consist of besic data for creating the pensioner’s profile such as name, contact details, residency proof through documents such as electricity bill or water bill, identity and age proof through a government ID like Aadhaar card, PAN Card, passport, ration card, etc.

• After filling in the required details the beneficiary has to review the details and click on 'submit' to enroll