Kerala welfare pension: Beneficiaries given time to link bank accounts

Palakkad, Kerala: With doorstep distribution of social welfare pensions set to end in Kerala, 23.14 lakh beneficiaries will have to link their bank accounts to continue receiving their pensions

Those who already have an Aadhaar-linked bank account can use the existing account to receive their pension. Beneficiaries who need to open a new account will be given time to complete the process.

Until April 2016, welfare pensions were distributed through post offices. The government later decided to shift pension distribution to bank accounts. As complaints emerged while many beneficiaries were trying to open bank accounts, the government subsequently decided to deliver pensions at home through primary cooperative societies for those who preferred it. This system of pension distribution has continued since June 2016.

According to Finance Department figures, 51,10,908 people currently receive welfare pensions. Of these, 27,95,912 receive their pensions through bank accounts, while 28,14,996 receive them at home. The Finance Department estimates that around half of those receiving doorstep pensions may already have bank accounts. This includes people such as VB-G RAM G workers who regularly use bank accounts. Bedridden beneficiaries and persons with disabilities who are unable to visit banks, among others, will be exempted from the change. Their details will be collected. Others will be given time to open bank accounts and link them to the pension system.

The Pension Department has clarified that pensions will not be stopped in the coming months even if beneficiaries do not immediately open an account. A detailed order in this regard is expected soon. The government has also decided to distribute the welfare pension for August before Onam.