West Bengal Widow Pension Scheme

Scheme Introduction: A Brief Overview

The West Bengal Widow Pension Scheme is a social security pension scheme introduced by the Government of West Bengal for widowed women who are facing financial difficulties after the death of their husbands. Through this welfare scheme, the state government provides monthly financial assistance to eligible widow beneficiaries so they can manage their household expenses and maintain a basic standard of living. The scheme is administered by the Department of Women & Child Development and Social Welfare, Government of West Bengal. The said scheme is also popular as "West Bengal Financial Assistance Scheme to Widows" or "West Bengal Monthly Pension Scheme for Widows".

Earlier, widowed women covered under the scheme were provided a monthly pension of Rs. 1,000/-. The Government of West Bengal has now revised the social security pension amount to Rs. 1,500/- per month. The enhanced financial assistance will be payable from 01 August 2026, and the pension will continue to be transferred directly to the beneficiaries' bank accounts through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system.

The Widow Pension Scheme in West Bengal is specially designed for economically weaker widowed women who do not have sufficient financial support. Women who are permanent residents of West Bengal or have been residing in the state continuously for at least 10 years are eligible to apply. The applicant must remain unmarried after the death of her husband, and her monthly income should remain within the prescribed income limit.

Applicants who are already receiving financial assistance under the schemes run by the state government, such as the Old Age Pension Scheme, Disability Pension Scheme, or Farmer Pension Scheme, are not eligible to receive benefits under the Widow Pension Scheme. Eligible beneficiaries can apply through the prescribed application form available at designated government offices. After verification and approval by the concerned authorities, the pension amount is directly transferred to the beneficiary's bank account every month.

Scheme Benefits

• Provides monthly financial assistance to eligible widowed women in West Bengal.
• Monthly widow pension has been increased from Rs. 1,000/- to Rs. 1,500/-.
• The revised pension of Rs. 1,500/- per month is payable from 01 August 2026.
• Pension is credited directly to the beneficiary's Aadhaar-linked bank account through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system.

Eligibility Requirements

• Only widowed women or girls are eligible to apply for pension benefits under the scheme.
• The minimum age of the applicant should be 60 years at the time of application.
• The applicant must be an Indian citizen and should be a resident of West Bengal.
• The total monthly income of the beneficiary's family should remain below Rs. 1,000/-.
• The applicant should not have any relatives who are financially capable of supporting her livelihood and daily expenses.
• The beneficiary must have continuously lived in West Bengal for at least 10 years before submitting the application.
• Women engaged in professional begging or mendicancy activities are not eligible to receive widow pension benefits.
• Applicants receiving a pension under another scheme, such as Old Age Pension, Disability, or Farmer's pension, are not eligible.

Required Documents

• Self-attested copy of Aadhaar Card.
• Copy of Ration Card.
• Copy of Voter ID Card.
• Copy of Disability Certificate, if applicable.
• Copy of Income Certificate.
• Copy of Husband's Death Certificate.
• Copy of Bank Passbook.
• Nomination Form.
• Recent passport-size photograph.

Steps to Apply

Step 1: Obtain the Application Form

Eligible widows need to collect the West Bengal Widow Pension Scheme application form from the concerned government office.

• Urban Areas: Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) Office
• Rural Areas: Block Development Officer (BDO) Office or Panchayat Samiti Office
• Kolkata Municipal Corporation Area: Controller of Vagrancy Office

Step 2: Fill in the Required Details

Applicants should carefully fill in all personal details, address information, widow status, income details, and bank account information in the application form.

Step 3: Attach Supporting Documents

Attach all required documents, including Aadhaar Card, income certificate, residence proof, ration card, bank passbook copy, husband's death certificate, and non-marriage certificate.

Step 4: Submit the Application Form

Submit the duly filled application form, along with all supporting documents, to the same office from which the form was collected.

Step 5: Verification Process

The concerned department officials verify the application form and documents submitted by the applicant.

Step 6: Final Approval

After successful verification, the application is forwarded to the District Magistrate for approval of pension benefits.

Step 7: Track Application Status

Applicants can track the status of their widow's pension application online using the Application ID.

Step 8: Pension Disbursement

Once approved, the monthly pension amount is transferred directly to the beneficiary's bank account through DBT mode.

How to Track Widow Pension Scheme Application Status?

• Go to the official WB Samarth Portal.
• From the homepage, click on "Track Applicant Status".
• Select Widow Pension Scheme from the available scheme list.
• Choose any one search option, such as Beneficiary ID, Mobile Number, or Aadhaar Number.
• Enter the relevant details according to the selected search option.
• Complete the CAPTCHA verification.
• Press the "Search" button.
• The portal will display the current status of your Widow Pension Scheme application.

Important Application Forms

• West Bengal Widow Pension Scheme Application Form.

Important Links

• West Bengal SAMARTH Website.
• West Bengal Widow Pension Scheme Application Status.
• West Bengal Widow Pension Scheme Grievance Registration.
• West Bengal Department of Women & Child Development and Social Welfare.
• West Bengal Widow Pension Scheme Guidelines.

District Nodal Officer Contact Details

• Beneficiaries of West Bengal Widow Pension Scheme will contact the District Nodal Officer in case of any grievance:-

  District	Contact No. & Email
  Alipurduar	03564-257527
  Bankura	03242-240103 [email protected]
  Barddhaman	0342-2663381 [email protected]
  Birbhum	03462-259737 [email protected]
  Coochbihar	03582-225401 [email protected]
  Dakshin Dinajpur	03522-255119 [email protected]
  Darjeeling	0354-2254191 [email protected]
  Howrah	033-26380587 [email protected]
  Hooghly	033-26810832 [email protected]
  Jalpaiguri	03561-220861 [email protected]
  Kolkata	033-23370762 [email protected]
  Maldah	03512-254236 [email protected]
  Murshidabad	03482-250023 [email protected]
  Nadia	03472-254798 [email protected]
  North 24 Parganas	033-25846278 [email protected]
  Paschim Medinipur	03222-265996 [email protected]
  Purba Medinipur	0322-8263135 [email protected]
  Puruliya	03252-224409 [email protected]
  South 24 Parganas	033-24792206 [email protected]
  Uttar Dinajpur	9836008135 [email protected]

Contact Details

• West Bengal Department of Women & Child Development and Social Welfare Helpline Number:-
  • 033-23341563.
  • 033-23371797.
• West Bengal Department of Women & Child Development and Social Welfare Helpdesk Email:- [email protected].