How to Apply for Widow and Old Age Pension in West Bengal

How to Apply for Widow and Old Age Pension in Kolkata, Asansol, Siliguri, Durgapur, West Bengal

Pension can be referred as a sanctioned payment that is offered by the state to the people who have been serving the government for years and have crossed their retirement age. It has also been applicable to widows, senior citizens and disabled people. It has been a major process that has been going on over the years in every state of the country. The state government of Kolkata, Asansol, Siliguri, Durgapur, West Bengal came up with pension schemes for senior citizens and widows in 2010, lighting a ray of hope for each one of them.

The widow pension scheme

As mentioned, it was implemented in 2010 and naturally known as West Bengal widow pension.

Eligibility Criteria:There are certain conditions on which this scheme can be applied to a woman. They are listed below:

1. She must be an Indian citizen and a resident of West Bengal.
2. The income of her family should not exceed Rs.1000 in a month.
3. She must have been a resident of West Bengal at least for 10 years on the date of applying for the pension.

The Senior citizen pension scheme:

Eligibility Criteria:Just like the Widow Pension Scheme, the Senior citizen pension scheme is also comprised of some conditions.

1. The person needs to be at least 60 years of age or more and a resident of West Bengal. If handicapped, the age limit will be reduced to 55 years.
2. The income of that person does not exceed more than 1000 rupees per month.
3. The person who is applying for the senior citizen pension should not be a recipient of the other Government positions.
4. He/She needs to be a resident of West Bengal for not less than 10 years on the date of applying for the pension

The method of applying these pensions online               

To apply for these pensions online, there are some steps that you need to follow.

1. First, visit the website http://wbswpension.gov.in/pages/wcd_about_scheme.php.
2. Click the Download button.
3. You can download the pension from here itself.
4. At last, fill up the form and submit it to the addressed office.

The method of applying for these pensions offline

The application form for the pension can be issued for free at any of the offices mentioned below.

1. Office of the Executive officer of the Panchayat Samiti or Block Development officer.
2. Office of the Controller of Vagrancy situated at Purta Bhawan, Bidhan Nagar, Kolkata- 700091.

The application form needs to be addressed to the following.

1. The District Magistrate (DM) of the specific district and needs to be submitted to the Block Development officer or the sub-divisional officer.
2. The controller of Vagrancy in West Bengal and needs to be submitted at the same place.