A Lifeline For Widows: Insights Into The Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme (IGNWPS)

Apekshya Basnet

The Indian Constitution’s Directive Principles of State Policy, which requires each state to implement specific welfare programmes within its means, are mostly achieved through the National Social Assistance Program’s (NSAP).

The Indian government launched the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) as a social welfare programme to provide financial support to elderly, widowed and disabled individuals from below the poverty line households. Established in 1995, it strives to provide the vulnerable sections of society with a basic level of financial security and social safety.

The scheme includes multiple initiatives that target different groups of people in need of support, such as the Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS), the Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme (IGNWPS), and the Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme (IGNDPS).

Eligibility Criteria & Objectives

Like many other countries, India struggles to meet the needs of its vulnerable populations — especially widowed women who often experience social exclusion and financial hardship. In response to this pressing issue, the Government of India introduced the Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme (IGNWPS) in 2009.

IGNWPS is a social welfare initiative that aims to provide widowed women who are below the poverty level monthly financial support. It strives to improve widows’ quality of life by supporting their basic living expenditures and easing their financial hardships.

The scheme – which is run by the Ministry of Rural Development – targets widowed women between the ages of 40 and 79. Applicants must be below the poverty line and should not be receiving any other pension or financial aid from the government in order to be eligible for the scheme. The pension will end if the widow remarries or if she earns money above the poverty line.

Eligible widows who participate in the programme receive a monthly pension to help with basic expenses. State-by-state variations exist in pension amounts; the federal government contributes a portion of the total pension cost, with the states contributing to the remainder.

The Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Schemes primary objectives have been listed below.

IGNWPS offers social assistance benefits to low-income households to widowed women.
The scheme ensures basic national standards, in addition to the benefits that the States currently provide or may provide in the future.
It guarantees that the beneficiaries receive continuous and uniform social protection across the country.

Impact of the IGNWPS

In India, IGNWPS has become an important social welfare programme that addresses the social and economic vulnerabilities faced by widowed women. The key impacts of the scheme are the following:

Economic Empowerment: IGNWPS has made significant progress in reducing poor widowed women’s financial hardships. The Ministry of Rural Development claims that the scheme provides pensions to more than 3.5 million widowed women. For these women who often lack other means of support, the financial assistance comes in the form of a monthly pension that ranges from INR 300 to 500, depending on the state.

Poverty Alleviation: According to a National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP) report, the scheme’s recipients’ rates of poverty have dramatically decreased. The report indicates that the IGNWPS’s financial assistance was a major factor in roughly 45% of widowed women who receive pensions being able to escape poverty. Notably, in a nation where widowed women are among the most vulnerable groups — this decrease in poverty is significant.

Improved Access to Healthcare: Improved access to vital services such as healthcare is another benefit of the IGNWPS’s financial support. According to a National Sample Poll Office (NSSO) poll, about 60% of the scheme’s participants reported having better access to healthcare services. Their regular health check-ups and medical procedures, which were previously unaffordable, are now accessible for them thanks to the IGNWPS.

Enhancing Educational Opportunities for Beneficiaries’ Children: The scheme has also positively impacted the beneficiaries’ children’s education as well. NSSO surveys reveal that nearly 55% of widowed mothers funded their children’s education, improving their families’ future prospects.

Social Inclusion and Empowerment: The Centre for Women’s Development Studies (CWDS) discovered that a greater proportion of the program’s recipients—nearly 70%—participated in social events and community activities. In India, widowhood is typically connected with stigma and solitude, therefore social inclusion plays a crucial role in battling these feelings.

In addition, according to a CWDS study, 65% of recipients reported that they felt more capable and empowered to participate in community decision-making and local governance. This is crucial for advancing gender equality and ensuring that widowed women can make meaningful contributions to society.

Challenges

Despite its positive impact on many beneficiaries across the nation, the scheme is also plagued by various issues that require urgent attention. These challenges have been discussed in detail below.

Poor Awareness Among Eligible Beneficiaries: According to a National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP) survey, almost 30% of eligible women were unaware of the IGNWPS. National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) data further shows that because of lack of awareness and practical difficulties, widowed women in rural areas are less likely to benefit from the programme.

Bureaucratic Hurdles in the Application Process: The NSSO reports that approximately 25% of applicants encountered delays as a result of tedious documentation requirements and procedural inefficiencies. This issue discourages many widowed women from applying, therefore limiting the scheme’s outreach.

Delays in Pension Disbursements: Timely pension payments are a crucial concern. The Ministry of Rural Development claims that benefactors have experienced delays of up to three months in some regions in India. In some cases, as a result of budget constraints, pension payments have also been further significantly delayed. For instance, the Delhi government revealed that insufficient budget allocations caused over 36,000 beneficiaries’ pensions to be delayed in the state in 2024.

Wrongful Allocation to Ineligible Beneficiaries: According to a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) study, states have been distributing pensions to ineligible recipients. For instance, in 17 states under the IGNWPS / UTs, about 38,540 ineligible individuals under 40 received pensions of Rs 26.45 crore (the widow beneficiary should be above 40 years of age under NSAP). Additionally, in 414 cases, an ineligible payment of Rs 0.57 crore under the IGNWPS was paid to male family members or women who were not widows in six states and union territories.

Inadequate Monitoring and Evaluation: A lack of strong monitoring and evaluation systems hindersIGNWPS’ efficiency. CAG asserts that, as of 2023, 24 states and UTs’ departments do not maintain BPL lists, which are required in order to determine a beneficiary’s eligibility under IGNWPS. Additionally, from 2017 to 21, no state or UT— except Kerala—conducted periodic surveys to determine which eligible recipients. It is challenging to guarantee that the programme reaches all intended beneficiaries and runs effectively in the absence of adequate oversight.

Recommendations

IGNWPS has improved several widowed women’s lives, yet to enhance the effectiveness of the plan, a few issues must be resolved. Here are some key recommendations to combat the aforementioned challenges:

Increasing Awareness Among Eligible Beneficiaries: The government must prioritize targeted awareness initiatives to address poor awareness. In addition, awareness may be greatly raised by utilizing social media, community organizations, and local media. Reaching more eligible beneficiaries may also be aided by introducing informational workshops in rural regions, where awareness is particularly low.

Simplifying the Application Process: Bureaucratic hurdles often deter eligible women from applying. Thus, a simplified application procedure is crucial. Implementing an online application system with support for local languages and user-friendly interfaces can help in simplifying the application process. Bureaucratic barriers may also be solved by establishing help desks to assist applicants in local government agencies.

Addressing Wrongful Allocation to Ineligible Beneficiaries: Addressing misallocations is essential to preserving the scheme’s integrity. Regular audits and verification procedures must be reinforced, in order to identify and correct such errors. Maintaining accountability may also be aided by establishing an open grievance redressal process where beneficiaries can report discrepancies.

Allocating Adequate Budget for Timely Payments: Insufficient budget allocations have led to delayed pension disbursements. In annual budgets, the government must prioritize IGNWPS and consider emergency funding for unexpected budget constraints. In addition such challenges may be prevented with regular budget evaluations and modifications depending on beneficiary needs.

Enhancing Monitoring and Evaluation Systems: A strong monitoring and evaluation system to identify areas of improvements is required to maximize the effectiveness of the scheme. Developing a centralized database to monitor recipients, payments, and comments might further yield insightful information. Stakeholders can also contribute to annual evaluations that assist improve the programme and ensure its objectives are achieved.

Way Forward

Despite its successes, the IGNWPS faces several obstacles that must be addressed to maximize its impact. Among the main challenges are the eligible women’s lack of awareness about the scheme, the bureaucratic hurdles in the application process, and the delays in pension disbursement.

In addition, the government should further improve outreach initiatives to ensure that all qualified widowed women are aware of and able to utilize the programme in order to address these issues. Other necessary actions include streamlining the application procedure and guaranteeing timely pension disbursement.

About the Contributor: Apekshya Basnet is a research intern at IMPRI. She graduated with a BA (hons) Economics in 2023.