Housing Assistance Grant (for dependents of martyred soldiers)

What is the Housing Assistance Grant?

The Housing Assistance Grant is a welfare measure of the Government of Uttarakhand for the widow or dependents of a soldier who was martyred in war or in a border clash. It is administered by the Directorate of Sainik Welfare and Rehabilitation, the state body that looks after ex-servicemen, war widows (veer naris) and the families of martyrs. The grant is one of several forms of support the directorate extends to martyr families so that the family has help with a home after losing its earning member.

According to the Directorate of Sainik Welfare, the department works through District Sainik Welfare Offices across all 13 districts of Uttarakhand. These offices are the point of contact for martyr-family claims, ex-servicemen identity cards, employment registration and grievance redressal. The Housing Assistance Grant is claimed and verified through this district network rather than through a citizen self-service portal.

Who is eligible for the Housing Assistance Grant?

You can apply if:

• You are the widow or a recognised dependent of a soldier from Uttarakhand.
• The soldier was martyred in war or border action.
• The martyr's family is a permanent resident of Uttarakhand.
• You can provide proof of the martyrdom and of your relationship or dependency.

You cannot apply if:

• You are not the widow or a recognised dependent of the martyred soldier.
• The family is not a permanent resident of Uttarakhand.
• Your claim relates to a general ex-servicemen benefit rather than a martyr-dependent case, those are handled under separate Sainik Welfare schemes such as gallantry and non-gallantry award grants.

The precise definition of a "dependent" and the exact eligibility for this grant are set by the directorate's orders. Because these conditions decide the claim, confirm them with your District Sainik Welfare Office before applying.

How much does the Housing Assistance Grant pay?

The Housing Assistance Grant is a financial grant towards a home for the martyr's family. The amount is fixed by the Directorate of Sainik Welfare and is revised over time, so it is not a single published figure that stays constant across years. The reliable step is to ask your District Sainik Welfare Office for the current grant amount and the form the assistance takes, for example, a lump sum towards construction or a defined housing benefit. This guide does not state a fixed rupee figure because a current, verified amount should come from the directorate.

What documents are required?

How to apply for the Housing Assistance Grant

1. Visit your District Sainik Welfare Office, every district in Uttarakhand has one; or contact the Directorate of Sainik Welfare and Rehabilitation in Dehradun for the correct form and current requirements.
2. Collect and fill in the application, and gather the documents: identity proof, proof of the soldier's martyrdom, relationship or dependency proof, permanent residence certificate and a bank passbook.
3. Submit the completed application with the documents to the District Sainik Welfare Office, which checks and forwards the claim to the directorate.
4. Cooperate with any verification of the martyrdom record and the dependency status.
5. On approval, the assistance is released to the bank account in the application. Keep the acknowledgement for follow-up.

How to check your claim status

1. Contact the District Sainik Welfare Office that received your claim and quote your application details.
2. Ask which stage the claim is at — district verification, directorate approval, or payment.
3. If approved, confirm your bank details so the transfer is not delayed.

Why claims get delayed or rejected

• Martyrdom proof missing or incomplete, so the case cannot be established.
• Dependency not proven. The applicant is not shown to be the widow or a recognised dependent.
• Residence not established for Uttarakhand.
• Bank details incorrect, delaying the transfer.

Most issues are resolved by supplying the correct service or dependency record through the District Sainik Welfare Office. A claim is rarely rejected outright for a document that can be produced later; more often it is held pending the missing martyrdom or dependency record, which is why gathering the certified service papers before applying saves the most time. If a family is unsure which record establishes the martyrdom, the District Sainik Welfare Office can confirm exactly what the directorate will accept before the claim is filed.

When can a family apply, and what form does the help take?

There is no fixed last date for the Housing Assistance Grant. It is processed as martyr-dependent cases arise, so a widow or dependent applies once the martyrdom is recorded and the family's need for housing help is established. The grant is a form of financial assistance towards a home, which in practice can mean a contribution towards constructing or repairing a house, depending on the directorate's orders in force and the family's circumstances. Because the amount is set by directorate order and revised over time, this guide deliberately does not print a rupee figure; the current, verified amount should be taken from the District Sainik Welfare Office at the time of applying, along with confirmation of whether land or house ownership documents will be checked.

What other support do martyr families receive?

The Housing Assistance Grant is one item in a wider package the Directorate of Sainik Welfare and Rehabilitation runs for the families of martyrs and for ex-servicemen. The directorate and its District Sainik Welfare Offices also handle gallantry and non-gallantry award grants, ex-servicemen identity cards, employment registration for dependents, educational concessions, and general welfare of war widows, known as veer naris. A martyr's family is therefore often eligible for more than one benefit, and the same District Sainik Welfare Office is the single window for all of them. Families should ask the office to list every entitlement they qualify for rather than claiming only the housing help, because several of these benefits are claimed on separate forms but through the same office and the same core set of documents. The martyrdom proof, the dependency proof and the Uttarakhand permanent residence certificate.

A practical point worth repeating: keep certified copies of the soldier's service and martyrdom records, because nearly every martyr-family benefit is built on them. Where the original records sit with the armed forces, the District Sainik Welfare Office can guide the family on obtaining the certified copies needed to support a claim.

Help and grievance redressal

• Directorate of Sainik Welfare and Rehabilitation, Uttarakhand: 0135-2744208; office at 15-C Kalidas Road, Hathibarkala, Dehradun.
• District Sainik Welfare Offices: in all 13 districts, the first point of contact.
• Uttarakhand CM Helpline: 1905, for grievances not resolved at the district level.

There is no fee to file a martyr-dependent claim through the District Sainik Welfare Office. Because the grant amount and the exact conditions are set by directorate orders that change over time, confirm the current figure and eligibility with the District Sainik Welfare Office before you apply.