Raksha Mantri Ex-Servicemen Welfare Fund - Penury Grant

What is the RMEWF Penury Grant?

The Raksha Mantri Ex-Servicemen Welfare Fund Penury Grant is a lifetime monthly payment made by the Kendriya Sainik Board to destitute non-pensioner ex-servicemen up to the rank of Havildar and equivalent, and their widows. According to the Kendriya Sainik Board, the grant pays Rs 4,000 per month per beneficiary for life, released annually.

The Penury Grant has a long history. KSB records that it began in 1981 at Rs 100 per month for two years for non-pensioner ESM and widows on attaining 65 years of age. The AFFD Fund Management Committee revised it to Rs 500 per month for two years in 2007, with a one-time grant of Rs 30,000 at age 70 or 75. In October 2011 the scheme was simplified into a lifetime monthly grant of Rs 1,000, and with effect from 1 April 2017 the amount was increased to Rs 4,000 per month, paid annually.

Key objectives

• Provide a measure of relief to destitute non-pensioner ex-servicemen and their widows in old age.
• Reach the ranks that retire without a service pension, up to Havildar and equivalent.
• Continue support for life rather than for a fixed two-year window.

Main features

• Paid from the Armed Forces Flag Day Fund under RMEWF.
• Rs 4,000 per month, disbursed annually into the beneficiary's bank account.
• Lifetime benefit, subject to an annual renewal with a life certificate.
• Non-transferable. It stops automatically on the death of the beneficiary.

Who is eligible for the RMEWF Penury Grant?

You can apply if:

• You are a non-pensioner ex-serviceman, or the widow of one.
• The ex-serviceman was of the rank of Havildar or equivalent in the Navy or Air Force, and below.
• You are 65 years of age on 1 April of the financial year in which you apply.
• You are in a state of penury and can obtain a Certificate of Penury verified by your Zila Sainik Welfare Officer.

A special relaxation applies to widows. The Kendriya Sainik Board states that after the demise of an ex-serviceman who was already availing the Penury Grant, his widow is eligible irrespective of her age at the time of his death. The 65-year condition does not apply to her.

You cannot apply if:

• You draw a service pension. The grant is exclusively for non-pensioners.
• The ex-serviceman retired above the rank of Havildar or equivalent; officers and JCOs above that rank are not eligible for this particular grant.
• You are below 65 years on 1 April of the financial year of application, and are not a widow covered by the relaxation above.
• You cannot produce a complete, unaltered discharge book, or a Certificate of Penury endorsed by the ZSWO.

How much does the Penury Grant pay?

The Penury Grant is Rs 4,000 per month per beneficiary, which works out to Rs 48,000 for a full year. The Kendriya Sainik Board notes that the amount is paid annually rather than monthly, and continues for life so long as the annual renewal with a life certificate is completed.

There is no separate lump-sum component in the present scheme. The one-time Rs 30,000 grant at age 70 or 75 belonged to the 2007 version of the scheme, which was superseded in October 2011.

What documents are required for the Penury Grant?

The Kendriya Sainik Board is strict about the discharge book. All pages must be uploaded sequentially without missing pages and without alterations. Any cutting or overwriting must be authenticated by the DSWO: signatures or stamps of any other authority render the entry null and void.

How to apply for the RMEWF Penury Grant online

1. Register and log in on the Kendriya Sainik Board web portal at ksb.gov.in.
2. Complete your profile page accurately, including the "Who are you" field. A widow must set this to Widow and enter the date of death of the ex-serviceman before applying.
3. Select Penury Initial application from the welfare grants menu.
4. Upload the scanned documents within the file size limits shown online, the full discharge book, age proof if needed, ESM or widow identity card, first page of the bank passbook with a cancelled cheque if required, and the Certificate of Penury in the prescribed format.
5. Submit the application, which goes to your Zila Sainik Welfare Officer.
6. Visit the Zila Sainik Board when called, so the ZSWO can personally check the original documents — service document, age proof, attested identity card copy, bank documents and the Certificate of Penury; before recommending the application.
7. Track the application through the Status of Application link on ksb.gov.in. On approval, payment is made into the bank account given.

How to renew the Penury Grant every year

1. Log in to ksb.gov.in with the same account used for the initial grant.
2. Select Penury Renewal from the welfare grants menu.
3. Obtain a life certificate signed by the ZSWO only. The Kendriya Sainik Board specifies that no other authority may sign it.
4. Submit the renewal online between 1 December and 31 March of the current financial year.

Missing this window is the most common reason a lifetime grant stops mid-stream. The assistance is non-transferable and ceases automatically on the death of the ex-serviceman or widow.

What a widow should do when the pensioner dies

The Kendriya Sainik Board has a specific procedure for a widow whose husband was drawing the Penury Grant. She does not need to register afresh on the portal. Instead she uses her husband's KSB account, edits "Who are you" to Widow, enters the date of death of the ex-serviceman on the profile page, updates the other details, and then applies for the Initial Penury Grant. The age limit of 65 years does not apply in such cases. For subsequent years she follows the normal Penury Renewal procedure.

Common reasons Penury Grant applications are rejected

• The ex-serviceman is a pensioner, or held a rank above Havildar and equivalent.
• The applicant is under 65 years on 1 April of the financial year, without the widow relaxation.
• Incomplete discharge book, missing pages, illegible scans, or alterations not authenticated by the DSWO.
• The Certificate of Penury is missing or not in the prescribed format.
• Bank passbook page uploaded without a cancelled cheque where account details are not printed on it.
• Life certificate not submitted between 1 December and 31 March, or signed by someone other than the ZSWO.
• A widow applying under a fresh registration instead of updating the husband's existing KSB account.

Help and grievance redressal

• JD (Welfare), KSB Secretariat: 011-20862446, jdwelfare-ksb@desw.gov.in
• KSB grievances: Post Grievance and Track Grievance on ksb.gov.in
• Postal address: Secretary, Kendriya Sainik Board, West Block-IV, Wing-VII, RK Puram, New Delhi 110066
• Local help: your Zila Sainik Welfare Office, which verifies documents and recommends the application

Applying for the Penury Grant is free. No agent can secure the grant for you. The ZSWO's verification of your original documents is the only route to sanction.