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. A labourworker should be disableddisabled.

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

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. (this is in case of disabled women)

• Based on the Mitr Sanketa encounter with women in Bangalore, only 3-4 individuals out of 5000 applicants receive approval, and the specific reasons for rejection remain undisclosed or unshared.
  

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).

Annexure:

Link to apply for Disability pension 

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