Step 2.7. Disability Pension

What is a disability pension?

The Board or authorized officer may Sanction an amount of Rs. 2000/- (Govt of Karnataka Notification) per month as disability pension to a beneficiary, who is partially disabled due to any disease or accident at the worksite and for an ex-gratia payment of not more than Rs. 2,00,000/- (Rupees two lakhs only) depending upon the percentage of disability. 

What are the eligibility criteria for accessing benefits from the disability pension scheme?

1. The beneficiary cannot avail of this assistance in case he has availed the benefit under rule-47;
   
2. The beneficiary shall obtain an identity card issued by the Department for the empowerment of differently abled and senior citizens; 
   
3. A Disability Pension application must be submitted through Seva Sindhu software 
   
4. The Board or the Officer authorized after satisfying himself about the eligibility and other criteria shall sanction the disability pension and send to the registered beneficiary, the disability pension sanction order along with the disability pension Identity Card having unique (Electronically generated) DPPO (Disability Pension Payment Order) number.
   
5. The Board or the Officer authorized, shall decide, in case of the beneficiary, who is disabled due to any disease or accident at the worksite, the quantum of ex-gratia based on the percentage of disability declared by the department for the empowerment of differently abled and senior citizens calculated according to the following formula;‑  
   
6. Disability Pension shall be paid through the Bank Account of the beneficiary or any other mode of transfer as may be determined by the Board. 
   
7. The beneficiary shall submit the ‘Living Certificate’ in Form XIV (A) to the sanctioning authority for each year. 
   
8. The Disability Pension granted shall be discontinued once the beneficiary attains the age of sixty years.

Where to Apply for the Disability pension scheme?

Click here to apply 

How disability pension is calculated?

The department has fixed the formula to calculate the pension amount

• Rs. 2,00,000 (Max. Amt) x Percentage of disability as declared by the department for the empowerment of differently abled and senior citizens = Ex-gratia amount

What type of documents are required for the application?

1. Original ID card submitted to the Board
   
2. Photocopy of beneficiary's bank passbook
   
3. Provide a Living Certificate every year
   
4. Ration Card
   
5. Employer Certificate
   
6. Medical Report
   
7. ID card issued by the department for the empowerment of differently abled and Senior citizens
   
8. Photocopy of the disabled beneficiary
   
9. Application can be submitted within 6 months from the date of issue of disability ID card by the competent authority
   
10. In case of death of the Beneficiary Nominee should provide a death certificate to the Board
    
11. Application in Form XIV
    
12. subscription certificate by SLI/LI
    

Key aspects related to Disability pension schemes.

Benefits	Amount (Rs.)	Frequency	Applies to	Contribution by worker (Rs.)	Time specified (days)	Time taken (days)	Fee specified (Rs.)	Money spent (Rs.)	Timeline for submission
Disability Pension	2,000 per month	Monthly	Dependents						Within 6 months of issue of disability card

What is the Procedure for applying for a disability pension?

1. Applicant needs to submit the application.
   
2. Application processing and Verification by Senior/ Labour Inspector.
   
3. Review and Approval by the Assistant Labour Commissioner

Why do construction workers often encounter difficulties in receiving disability pension benefits?

Eligibility Conditions:

• Labor must be registered as a construction worker to qualify for the scheme.

On-ground implementation issue:

• Handling pensions of various types falls under the jurisdiction of the Revenue Department, posing increased complexities in the process
• Only individuals with 50% or more disability are eligible for these pensions, and the application process involves applying online.
• Obtaining a disability certificate is challenging for individuals with disabilities who need to visit hospitals
• Upon receiving an acknowledgment, applicants are required to visit a specific designated hospital.
• Subsequently, specifically women must submit their applications to the Women and Child Development (WCD) department to obtain the necessary certificate.

• Out of 5000 applications, approval is granted for only 3-4 individuals, and the reasons for rejection are not disclosed or shared.

• Rehabilitating disabled laborers poses significant challenges and difficulties. 

What measures does the CSO undertake to offer a resolution to laborers regarding matters related to the disability pension?

1. CFAR engaged in discussions with the health/disabilities department to propose the organization of camps.
2. The initiative aimed to streamline processes by bringing document-signing authorities directly to communities, eliminating the need for disabled individuals to visit hospitals.
3. Additionally, CFAR staff regularly participated in monthly UDID grievance meetings with officials from the CSC.
4. Despite receiving approval, the printing of cards was a time-consuming step. Through CFAR's advocacy with the department, the necessity for a printed card has been eliminated, and a downloadable version is now deemed sufficient.
5. CFAR did an outreach program with India Post Payments Bank (for awareness on opening low-cost bank accounts to avail of the various schemes Aadhaar-linked or other schemes).