Sevana Pension Plan

India is one of the fastest-growing countries in the world where poverty remains to be a daunting factor among rural India. Administrative corruption is considered to be one reason for the country to be still in poverty. The funds allocated are diverted, which consequently resulted in problems such as delays in payment of pensions, complaints of duplication etc.  Kerala is one among the few states in India, which took some comprehensive measures over issues such as a result of which the poverty rate declined there over the years. Sevana pension plan is one of the several measures that the Kerala Government has taken to accomplish that. Sevana Pension plan is a social welfare pension program which highly aims at the disbursement of benefits to the poorest of the poor. The ultimate motive in implementing this scheme was to effectively provide the social security services deployed by the local Government. This application encloses seven schemes out of which six types of pensions are distributed through which over 16 lakhs from the underprivileged section of the state are benefitted. Social security pensions are being disbursed through local bodies that include Gram Panchayats, Municipalities and Corporations using Sevana pension application.

Sevana Pension Schemes:

National old-age pension

The implementation of Indira Gandhi National Old age pension was handled by the Revenue Department of State Government, which has been later transferred to Local Self Govt Institutions as per the revised rules. Even though there is an elder son who did not look after his parents are also eligible for getting the pension. The pension amount is Rs. 1100 and Rs. 1500 for pensioners above 70 years.

Eligibility Criteria

• Age of 60 years or higher
• Applicant must be a destitute
• Family annual income should be or less than Rs.1,00,000
• Should have resided permanently within the Kerala state for 10 years or more
• A person who has applied for or is a receiver of any Social Welfare pensions is not eligible
• No person shall be eligible if he or she resorts to habitual begging
• The applicant is ineligible if the person if any person admits them to a poor home

The copy of the application form is below for reference:

Widow pension

The implementation of the

Widow Pension, which was handled by the Social Welfare Department of State Government has been transferred to Local Self Government Institutions. The pension amount is Rs. 1100.

Eligibility criteria

• Applicant should be a widow or divorcee
• Applicant should not be a remarried person
• Age of 60 years or higher
• Applicant must be a destitute
• Family annual income should be or less than Rs. 1,00,000
• Should have resided permanently within the state of Kerala for 10 years or more
• A person who has applied for or is a receiver of any Social Welfare pensions is not eligible
• No person shall be eligible if he or she resorts to habitual begging
• The applicant is ineligible if the person if any person admits them to a poor home

The copy of the application form is below for reference:

Pension to Unmarried Women above 50 years

The State Government implements this pension scheme through the Government Order number GO (MS) 14/2001 dated 31/03/2011. The pension amount is Rs. 1100.

Eligibility criteria

• Age should be above 50 years
• Applicant should be an unmarried person
• Applicant must be destitute
• Family annual income should be or less than Rs. 1,00,000
• Should have resided permanently within the state of Kerala for 10 years or more
• A person who has applied for or is a receiver of any Social Welfare pensions is not eligible
• No person shall be eligible if he or she resorts to habitual begging
• The applicant is ineligible if the person if any person admits them to a poor home

The copy of the application form is below for reference:

Pension to Physically or Mentally Disabled Persons

Medical Officers are appointed from the primary health centres to verify the relevance of the application and to ensure the applicant is Mentally Challenged. At present, the local bodies have been assigned with the task of receiving the application, processing, granting and distribution of the pension. Persons with more than 40% incapability are eligible for getting the pension. The pension amount is Rs. 1100, and for persons with more than 80%  disability, it is Rs. 1300.

Eligibility criteria

• Applicant should submit a certificate of disability
• Applicant must be a destitute
• Family annual income should be or less than Rs. 1,00,000
• Should have resided permanently within the Kerala state for 10 years or more
• A person who has applied for or is a receiver of any Social Welfare pensions is not eligible
• No person shall be eligible if he or she resorts to habitual begging
• The applicant is ineligible if the person if any person admits them to a poor home

The copy of the application form is below for reference: a destitute​_ a destitute​_

Agriculture Labour Pension

Agriculture Labour Pension was previously handled by the Labour Department which was later transferred to the local bodies. At present, the local bodies have been assigned with the task of receiving the application, processing and granting pension. The pension amount is Rs. 1100.

Eligibility criteria

• Should have worked as agriculture labour for 10 years or more under landowners
• Must be a member of the Kerala Agricultural Workers Welfare Fund
• Applicant should not be a labour of plantations
• Age of 60 years or higher
• Applicant must be a destitute
• Family annual income should be or less than Rs. 1,00,000
• Should have resided permanently within the state of Kerala for 10 years or more
• A person who has applied for or is a receiver of any Social Welfare pensions is not eligible
• No person shall be eligible if he or she resorts to habitual begging
• The applicant is ineligible if the person if any person admits them to a poor home

The copy of the application form is below for reference:

Applying for Sevana Pension Schemes

Step 1: The applicant must fill the application form providing the required information. Step 2: The applicant must submit the application form in their respective local bodies such as Gram Panchayat, Municipality or Corporation Secretary. Step 3: The Enquiry shall take place within 45 days after submitting the application and the beneficiary list be finalised within 45 days of receipt of the application post enquiry. Step 4: Any appeal against the beneficiary list should be submitted within 30 days to the concerned district collector, and the Government can take the right decision against the appeal. Step 5: Once approved, the pensioner will be eligible to get the pension from the first week of next month onwards considering the availability of fund. Step 6: The Government of Kerala will fix an acceptable amount for the approved pensioners, and the amount will be disbursed regularly.