Pension for Persons with Disabilities: Kerala violates Central law, denying mandatory 25% higher benefits

Kozhikode: Kerala has been violating Central law for years by not providing persons with disabilities (PwDs) the mandatory 25% higher pension and benefits compared to others. According to the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 (Section 24-1), passed by the Parliament, persons with disabilities are entitled to a 25% increase in social security benefits over others.

However, after the pension was unified, Kerala continued to provide the same social security pension of ₹1,600 to PwDs. Before the pension unification, PwDs were receiving ₹300 more than others. After the pension was increased to ₹2,000 for everyone from December, PwDs, as per the Disability Law, should have received ₹2,500.

No consideration in eligibility criteria

In Kerala, the same eligibility criteria apply to PwDs as to other beneficiaries of welfare pensions. A family must have an annual income of less than ₹1 lakh to be eligible. In joint households, if anyone has an income above ₹1 lakh, the pension is not granted. Even if a house is over 1,000 sq. ft. or the family owns a car, no pension is provided. If a PwD has no income but other household members have income, or if the household owns a car, the pension is denied.

Kerala has 8.64 lakh persons with disabilities. However, only 3.39 lakh are eligible for pension. Other states impose fewer restrictions. In Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, PwDs receive higher pension amounts than other beneficiaries. The amount varies depending on the degree of disability. In Andhra Pradesh, monthly pensions range from ₹6,000 to ₹15,000.

According to Section 88 of the Disabilities Rights Act, the State must allocate a dedicated disability fund. Although the 2021 budget included this and approved token amounts, no further action was taken. The Kerala Federation of the Blind, a disability organisation, is preparing to approach the court, demanding the pension hike mandated by law.

Reward Foundation general secretary Jaleel Parappanangadi said that while the increase of welfare pensions to ₹2,000 is welcome, failure to provide the 25% higher amount for PwDs is unacceptable.