Reduce widow pension age from 40 to 18, experts panel tells government

NEW DELHI: In a bid to assist a particularly vulnerable section of society , an expert group has suggested that widows should receive pension from age 18 instead of 40 as is currently the case.

The expert panel headed by former finance secretary Sumit Bose also recommended that widows be eligible for a one time grant for remarriage as well as waivers for education fees and skill development. Though the “widow pension“ of Rs 200 a month provided to widows of 40 years and above is a small sum, the proposal for financial support for education and housing can offer viable livelihood options.

The group has also recommended that pension schemes under the national social assistance programme should cover all target households except those which meet the “automatic exclusion criteria“ under the socio-economic caste census. Presently , only BPL households are eligible for these schemes.

Noting that the amount of pension under NSAP is insufficient, the panel has said that this should be revised annually based on Consumer Price Index. Presently , only BPL households are eligible for these schemes.

The proposals look at expanding the welfarist schemes of the government even as measures like education and skill development look at making beneficiaries economically independent.

Seeking wider coverage of pension assistance for the disabled, old persons and widows, the panel has pitched for “universal coverage of all eligible persons“ except those “automatically excluded“.

“Below Poverty Line“ used to be the criteria for welfare schemes but SECC has mapped rural households based on individual deprivations like housing, skill, individual and family handicap.

The rural development ministry plans to use SECC data for targetting schemes based on a family's needs.Around 40% of 17.94 crore rural households mapped by SECC are “automatically excluded“ from the list of beneficiaries of welfare schemes.

The expert group has suggested that widow pension be instituted for age group of 1839 years as excluding this group might deprive many with young children.