Beneficiaries to receive ₹3,600 as welfare pension in November, including one month’s arrears, says Kerala Finance Minister

Thiruvananthapuram: Finance Minister K. N. Balagopal has announced that all welfare pension beneficiaries in Kerala will receive ₹3,600 in November, which includes one month’s arrears along with the revised pension.

The Finance Department has sanctioned ₹1,864 crore for the disbursal. Distribution of the increased pension amount, revised to ₹2,000 per month, will begin on 20 November, alongside the final instalment of pending arrears.

Of the total amount, ₹1,042 crore has been allocated for the revised pension and ₹824 crore for one instalment of arrears. With this payment, all outstanding welfare pension arrears will be fully cleared.

The minister said the government remains committed to providing all announced benefits on schedule. The welfare pension had fallen into arrears for five instalments due to the financial strain the state faced during the 2023–24 financial year. A schedule for clearing the arrears, announced in the Assembly in July 2024, was followed with two instalments paid in the last financial year and two more by mid-2024. The final instalment is now being released as part of this plan.

Balagopal added that only 8.46 lakh people in Kerala are eligible for the central government’s share of the welfare pension, which averages up to ₹300 per person. More than ₹400 crore remains due from the Centre, and the state has been paying this amount in advance to ensure beneficiaries are not affected.