Matrimonial Incentives for Persons with Disabilities, Maharashtra

What is the Matrimonial Incentives scheme in Maharashtra?

Matrimonial Incentives, known in Marathi as the Divyang Vivah Protsahan Yojana or Divyang–Avyang Vivah Yojana, is a Maharashtra government cash incentive paid to a couple when a person with a disability gets married. The scheme is run by the Divyang Kalyan Vibhag, the state's Department of Persons with Disabilities Welfare, and it is funded entirely by the Government of Maharashtra.

The purpose is social rather than purely financial. Marriage prospects for persons with disabilities in Maharashtra remain limited, and families often carry extra costs at the time of marriage. The state's answer is a one-time grant that rewards the family that goes ahead with the marriage and gives the newly married couple a financial base.

Matrimonial Incentives began under a government resolution dated 17 June 2014, which fixed the benefit at Rs 50,000 and split it into four parts. A Rs 25,000 savings certificate, Rs 20,000 in cash, Rs 4,500 towards useful household articles and Rs 500 towards the marriage function. That structure is still described on many Zilla Parishad scheme pages and is what most older guidance refers to.

A revised government resolution dated 18 December 2025 changed the scheme in two important ways. The grant amount was raised sharply, and a new category was added for marriages where both spouses are persons with disabilities.

How much does the Maharashtra marriage incentive pay?

Two conditions attach to the money.

Fifty per cent must go into a fixed deposit for five years. On a Rs 1.50 lakh sanction that means Rs 75,000 is locked in a five-year FD in the couple's name and Rs 75,000 is free. On a Rs 2.50 lakh sanction it is Rs 1.25 lakh each way. The lock-in exists so that the incentive is not consumed entirely on wedding expenses.

Payment is made by Direct Benefit Transfer into a joint bank account in the names of both spouses. A single-name account is not accepted, and this is one of the more common reasons a sanctioned case is held up at the payment stage.

The higher rates apply to couples married on or after 18 December 2025. Couples married before that date are governed by the earlier Rs 50,000 structure.

Who is eligible for the matrimonial incentive?

A couple can apply if:

• At least one spouse has 40% or more disability, certified by an Aadhaar-linked UDID card or a disability certificate from a competent medical authority. For the higher Rs 2.50 lakh grant, both spouses must hold such certification.
• At least one spouse is a permanent resident of Maharashtra, supported by a domicile or residence certificate.
• The marriage is legally registered with the Registrar of Marriages or the competent local authority, and a marriage registration certificate is available.
• Both spouses are of legal marriageable age on the date of marriage.
• The application is filed within one year of the date of marriage.
• This is a first marriage for the applicants. A divorced applicant may apply only on a declaration that the benefit was not drawn on the earlier marriage.
• The couple can open or already holds a joint bank account.

A couple is not eligible and cannot apply if:

• Neither spouse has 40% or more certified disability.
• The disability certificate is not linked to Aadhaar or no UDID has been obtained. Enrol at swavlambancard.gov.in before applying.
• The marriage is not registered. A temple, church or mosque ceremony certificate on its own is not sufficient. The scheme requires the statutory registration certificate.
• More than one year has passed since the wedding date.
• The benefit has already been availed by either applicant on an earlier marriage.
• Neither spouse is a Maharashtra resident.

What documents are required for the matrimonial incentive?

How to apply for the matrimonial incentive online

1. Register the marriage first. Obtain the marriage registration certificate from the Registrar of Marriages or the municipal or gram panchayat authority. Nothing else in this process can move without it.
2. Get the UDID card for the disabled spouse, or for both spouses if you are claiming the Rs 2.50 lakh rate. Apply or check status at swavlambancard.gov.in. The Divyang Sahayak Portal directs applicants without a UDID card to the Swavlamban Portal first.
3. Open a joint bank account in the names of both spouses and get it Aadhaar-seeded at the branch.
4. Create a login on the Divyang Sahayak Portal at divyangsahayak.maharashtra.gov.in. The portal is the state's single window for disability schemes and requires a registered user account before you can apply.
5. Select the marriage incentive scheme from the scheme list and fill the application with both spouses' details, disability details, marriage date and joint account details.
6. Upload the documents — UDID or disability certificate, marriage registration certificate, Aadhaar cards, joint account passbook, domicile certificate and age proof, and submit within one year of the wedding date.
7. Note the application number shown on screen and keep it for follow-up.
8. Attend verification if called by the District Disability Empowerment Officer, who checks the documents before placing the case before the district selection committee for sanction.

How to apply offline

1. Visit the District Disability Empowerment Officer's office, or the Social Welfare Department office at your Zilla Parishad. In Mumbai City and Mumbai Suburban, approach the Assistant Commissioner, Social Welfare.
2. Collect the prescribed application form for the marriage incentive.
3. Attach the same document set listed above and submit it at the office within one year of the date of marriage.
4. Collect a written acknowledgement with a receipt number.

How do I check my application status?

1. Log in to divyangsahayak.maharashtra.gov.in with the account you used to apply and open your application from the dashboard.
2. Contact the District Disability Empowerment Officer for the district you applied in, quoting your application number.
3. Call the portal helpdesk on 022-47161362 or write to helpdesk.divyangsahayak@gmail.com for technical problems with the portal, such as an upload that will not go through or a login failure.

Sanction is not automatic on submission. The district verifies documents and a selection committee approves cases, so allow for several weeks between submission and the credit reaching your joint account.

Why matrimonial incentive applications get rejected

• Application filed after one year from the date of marriage. This is the single most common rejection reason and cannot be condoned at district level.
• No registered marriage certificate, only a ceremony or community certificate.
• Disability below 40%, or a certificate that omits the percentage.
• No UDID card or Aadhaar-unlinked disability certificate.
• Bank account is not joint, or is not Aadhaar-seeded, so the DBT fails.
• Second marriage where the incentive was already drawn earlier.
• Name spelling mismatch across Aadhaar, the marriage certificate and the UDID card. Correct the documents to match Aadhaar before applying.
• Marriage dated before 18 December 2025 but claimed at the revised higher rate: such cases are processed under the earlier Rs 50,000 structure.

Where do I complain or get help?

• Divyang Sahayak Portal helpdesk: 022-47161362, helpdesk.divyangsahayak@gmail.com
• District Disability Empowerment Officer in your district, for verification and sanction queries.
• District Social Welfare Officer, Zilla Parishad, or the Assistant Commissioner, Social Welfare, in Mumbai City and Mumbai Suburban.
• Divyang Kalyan Vibhag, Government of Maharashtra, at depwd.maharashtra.gov.in.

Applying for the matrimonial incentive is free. No officer or intermediary may charge a fee for the form, for verification, or for "getting the case sanctioned".