Abhayakiranam Scheme

What is the Abhayakiranam scheme?

Abhayakiranam is a Kerala state scheme run by the Department of Women and Child Development that pays Rs 1,000 a month to the close relative who shelters and looks after a destitute, homeless widow. The stated aim on the WCD Kerala scheme page is providing a safe and better living environment to destitute and homeless widows.

The design of Abhayakiranam is unusual and worth stating plainly, because it is where most confusion about the scheme starts. Abhayakiranam does not pay the widow. Kerala already runs a separate widow pension for that. Abhayakiranam instead pays the relative who takes her in, on the reasoning that a destitute widow is far better off inside a family home than in an institution, and that the main thing standing in the way is often the extra cost the host household cannot absorb. Rs 1,000 a month is intended to cover that marginal cost of food, medicine and upkeep.

Key features of Abhayakiranam

• Assistance of Rs 1,000 per month, paid continuously while the arrangement lasts, not as a one-time grant.
• Paid to the caregiving close relative, into that relative's own bank account.
• Aimed at widows who are destitute and homeless; not simply widowed, but without means and without a home of their own.
• Implemented by the Child Development Project Officer at ICDS project level.
• Handled at the Directorate by the Women Empowerment Cell, Directorate of Women and Child Development, Poojappura P.O., Thiruvananthapuram 695012.

Who is eligible for Abhayakiranam?

A relative can apply if:

• A destitute, homeless widow is living under their protection and in their home.
• The applicant is a close relative of that widow.
• The Village Officer certifies both that the woman is a widow and that she is being sheltered and protected by the applicant's family.
• The household holds a priority or BPL ration card, or can produce an income certificate from the Village Officer showing low income.
• The applicant is a resident of Kerala.

A person is not eligible if:

• They are not a close relative of the widow. Abhayakiranam is a family-care scheme, and a neighbour or an unrelated benefactor cannot claim under it.
• The widow does not actually live with them. The Village Officer's certificate is checked on this point, and a certificate obtained on a paper arrangement will not survive verification.
• The household is outside the BPL or low-income bracket.
• The widow is living in an institution, orphanage or old-age home rather than in a family home.
• Another relative is already drawing Abhayakiranam for the same widow. Payment is made once per widow.

What documents are required for Abhayakiranam?

The Village Officer certificate is the document the whole application turns on. Get it worded to cover both facts, that the woman is a widow, and that she is residing with and being protected by your family: because a certificate covering only widowhood will be sent back.

How to apply for Abhayakiranam

1. Obtain the Village Officer certificate for your ward, stating that the woman is a widow and that she is living under your family's protection and care.
2. Collect the Abhayakiranam application form. The form is published on the WCD Kerala website as "Abhayakiranam – Application Form" and is also available at the Child Development Project Officer's office.
3. Fill in the form with the widow's details, your relationship to her, your household's economic details and your bank account particulars.
4. Attach the documents — Village Officer certificate, attested copy of the priority or BPL ration card or the income certificate, the husband's death certificate, and a copy of your bank passbook.
5. Submit the completed application to the Child Development Project Officer of your ICDS project area. The CDPO is the implementing officer for Abhayakiranam.
6. Keep the acknowledgement and note the submission date, which is what you will quote when following up at the district office.

How do I check my Abhayakiranam application status?

Abhayakiranam has no online status portal. Check status through:

• The Child Development Project Officer who received the file, for whether it has been verified and forwarded.
• The District Women and Child Development Officer, for sanction status.
• The Women Empowerment Cell at the Directorate of Women and Child Development, Poojappura P.O., Thiruvananthapuram 695012, for cases stuck at directorate level.

Once sanctioned, the simplest check is your own bank passbook or SMS alerts, since the Rs 1,000 is credited directly.

Why do Abhayakiranam applications get rejected?

• Village Officer certificate does not cover the shelter fact. A certificate that only says the woman is a widow is the most common single cause of return.
• The widow is not destitute. A widow drawing a substantial pension, owning a house, or with independent means does not meet the destitution test the scheme is built on.
• Applicant is not a close relative. The relationship has to be stated and is checked.
• Household income too high, or a ration card that is not in the priority or BPL category.
• Duplicate claim where another relative already receives assistance for the same widow.
• Bank account details wrong or in a name other than the applicant's, which stops payment even after sanction.

What are the key dates for Abhayakiranam?

Abhayakiranam is open through the year with no announced last date. Because it is a continuing monthly payment rather than a one-time grant, the practical issue is not a deadline but continuity: if the widow moves out, is admitted to an institution, or dies, the arrangement ends and the payment must stop. Report such changes to the CDPO rather than letting the payment continue, because assistance drawn after the arrangement has ended is recoverable.

How to raise a grievance about Abhayakiranam

• Child Development Project Officer of your ICDS project; first point of contact for file and verification issues
• District Women and Child Development Officer, for sanction and payment delays
• Directorate of Women and Child Development, Women Empowerment Cell, Poojappura P.O., Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695012
• Village Office, for corrections to the certificate itself

Applying for Abhayakiranam is free. No fee is payable to any agent or official for the Village Officer certificate beyond the notified certificate charge, and no one can guarantee sanction in exchange for money.