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".

At present, eligible widows receive financial assistance of Rs. 1,000/- per month under the scheme. As per the recent election manifesto and political announcements, the new government has indicated that pension amounts under various social welfare schemes may be increased in the upcoming months. If the proposal is approved, beneficiaries of the West Bengal Widow Pension Scheme may start receiving Rs. 2,000/- per month instead of the current amount. Reports suggest that the revised pension amount could be implemented from June 2026, although the official notification is still awaited.

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

• Eligible widow beneficiaries receive a monthly pension of Rs. 1,000/-.
• The pension amount is directly credited to the beneficiary's bank account.
• The scheme provides financial support to widowed women for daily household and personal expenses.
• The proposed pension increase may raise the monthly assistance amount to Rs. 2,000/- in future.

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.

Important Application Forms

• West Bengal Widow Pension Scheme Application Form.

Important Links

• West Bengal Pension Scheme Website.
• West Bengal Widow Pension Scheme Application Status.
• West Bengal Widow Pension Scheme Grievance Registration.
• West Bengal Widow Pension Scheme Grievance Status.
• 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 dswobankura@gmail.com
  Barddhaman	0342-2663381 dswo.bwn@gmail.com
  Birbhum	03462-259737 dswo.bir@gmail.com
  Coochbihar	03582-225401 socialwelfare.cbr@gmail.com
  Dakshin Dinajpur	03522-255119 dswo.dd@gmail.com
  Darjeeling	0354-2254191 dswdarjeeling@gmail.com
  Howrah	033-26380587 dswohowrah@gmail.com
  Hooghly	033-26810832 swhooghly@gmail.com
  Jalpaiguri	03561-220861 dswo_jalpaiguri@yahoo.com
  Kolkata	033-23370762 cvwestbengal@gmail.com
  Maldah	03512-254236 dswo.malda@gmail.com
  Murshidabad	03482-250023 msddswo@gmail.com
  Nadia	03472-254798 dsw.nadia2015@gmail.com
  North 24 Parganas	033-25846278 dswo.social.northparganas20@gmail.com
  Paschim Medinipur	03222-265996 pmdswo@gmail.com
  Purba Medinipur	0322-8263135 dsw.purbamedinipur@gmail.com
  Puruliya	03252-224409 dswopurulia2015@gmail.com
  South 24 Parganas	033-24792206 dswos24@gmail.com
  Uttar Dinajpur	9836008135 dswoud@gmail.com

Contact Details

• West Bengal Department of Women & Child Development and Social Welfare Helpline Number:-
  • 033-23341563.
  • 033-23371797.
• West Bengal Widow Pension Scheme Helpdesk Email:- support.swpension-wb@gov.in.
• 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:- secy.wcdsw@gmail.com.
• Department of Women & Child Development and Social Welfare:-
  Bikas Bhawan, North Block,
  10th Floor, DF Block,
  Sector - 1, Salt Lake City,
  Kolkata, West Bengal.
  700091.