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Time of India
09-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Delhi govt to clear pending applications for pensions
New Delhi: With nearly 80,000 applications from senior citizens awaiting approval under the govt's monthly pension scheme, social welfare minister Ravindra Indraj Singh has directed the department to clear all pending applications within 15 days. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The minister has also instructed the social welfare department to appoint an independent agency to conduct a door-to-door verification of nearly six lakh existing beneficiaries. The aim is to ensure that only eligible individuals continue to receive financial assistance. According to officials, the department had invited applications in Dec 2024 from senior citizens eligible for the pension scheme. Although the scheme has a cap of 5.3 lakh beneficiaries aged 60 and above, only 4.3 lakh are currently registered. The online portal for registration was closed once the number of applicants reached 80,000. Applicants were also required to obtain a recommendation from their area legislator at the time of applying. More than five months have passed since the applications were received, yet the department has not completed the verification process. "Each form needs to be thoroughly checked to ensure the applicant meets the eligibility criteria. The minister has issued strict instructions to expedite the process and ensure eligible applicants start receiving their pensions immediately," said an official. "This process will also help determine how many slots are still available. At the same time, a physical verification drive will begin soon to weed out ineligible beneficiaries, making room for more deserving applicants," the official added. The agency tasked with the verification will be paid Rs 100 per beneficiary. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now If a beneficiary is not found at home, the agency will make two additional visits before submitting a final report. A mobile application, integrated with the e-district portal, will be developed to enable seamless data collection during the verification process. To qualify for the old-age pension, applicants must be over 60 years of age, residents of Delhi for at least five years, and have a family income of less than Rs 1 lakh per annum. Under the scheme, those aged between 60 and 69 years receive Rs 2,000 per month, while those 70 and above are entitled to Rs 2,500. Sources said the Delhi govt spends over Rs 1,200 crore annually on the old-age pension scheme for eligible senior citizens.
Time of India
06-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Caregiver support scheme likely for those with benchmark disabilities
New Delhi: To help persons with benchmark disabilities having serious mobility issues, Delhi govt is working on a proposal to provide them with financial assistance to avail themselves of the services of caregivers. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Delhi social welfare minister Ravindra Indraj Singh told TOI that his department was working on a scheme and would soon bring a proposal before the council of ministers for its approval. "The project was discussed in the cabinet once. We will finalise the proposal soon and place it before the council of ministers again for approval," Singh said. The minister added the kin of persons with a benchmark disability of 80% or more would be provided with financial assistance, benefitting nearly 1,000 families. The department will soon conduct a survey on the number of people who will get the aid. Though the exact amount of the aid was yet to be finalised, the minister said, it could be around Rs 5,000. Delhi govt currently provides a monthly pension of Rs 2,500 to the disabled, but this amount is often too little for people from disadvantaged sections. Persons with benchmark disabilities are those who have not less than 40% of a specified disability, as per the disability certificate or the UDID card. There are 21 disabilities categorised, including locomotor disability, intellectual disability, mental illness, autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, among others.
