Natural Death and Funeral Assistance - Folk Artistes

What is Natural Death and Funeral Assistance for folk artistes?

Natural Death and Funeral Assistance is a benefit of the Tamil Nadu Folk Artistes Welfare Board, which functions under the Art and Culture Department, Government of Tamil Nadu. When a registered folk artiste dies, the board pays the family Rs 25,000 towards natural death and funeral expenses. Where the death is accidental, the assistance rises to Rs 1,00,000.

This is the board's largest scheme by money paid out. Of the Rs 236.86 lakh sanctioned for 9,833 folk artistes across all heads, Rs 130.09 lakh went to 850 families under the natural death and funeral expenses head. The average works out close to the full Rs 25,000, which suggests the benefit is being paid at the stated rate rather than pro-rated.

The reason such a scheme exists is practical. A folk performer in Tamil Nadu; whether in therukoothu, villupattu, oyilattam, karagattam, parai isai or any of the other enlisted forms, usually earns per performance and rarely has a pension, gratuity or employer. A death in the family creates an immediate cash need for the funeral at exactly the moment the household's earning capacity has disappeared. The board's assistance is designed to meet that first cost.

The Tamil Nadu Folk Artistes Welfare Board in brief

The board was constituted in 2007 to promote folk arts among the public, support folk artistes financially and preserve traditional art forms for future generations. The Government of Tamil Nadu has identified and enlisted 99 folk art forms, and 57,308 artistes have registered as members. Membership is open to folk artistes aged between 18 and 60.

The board's full benefit schedule

Who is eligible, and who cannot claim?

The family can claim if:

• The deceased was a registered member of the Tamil Nadu Folk Artistes Welfare Board with a valid membership identity card.
• The membership was current, that is renewed within the two-year cycle.
• The claimant is a legal heir or dependant and can produce a legal heir certificate from the Tahsildar.
• A death certificate has been obtained from the local body.

The family cannot claim if:

• The artiste was never registered with the board. This is the hard bar: an unregistered folk artiste's family is not eligible, no matter how long the artiste performed. Registration during the artiste's working life is what makes this benefit available, and it costs only Rs 100 with a Rs 10 renewal every two years.
• The membership had lapsed and was not renewed.
• The claimant cannot establish legal heirship, in which case the board cannot release money to a disputed claimant.
• The person practised a classical art form outside the 99 enlisted folk art forms. Classical performers come under the Tamil Nadu Eyal Isai Nataka Manram's schemes instead, including the Rs 3,000 per month assistance to aged indigent artistes and the Porkizhi grant to indigent Kalaimamani awardees.

How to apply for the death and funeral assistance

1. Obtain the death certificate from the village panchayat, town panchayat, municipality or corporation where the death was registered. Without this document no claim can move.
2. Obtain a legal heir certificate from the Tahsildar of your taluk. This establishes who is entitled to receive the money, and it is the document the board relies on when a household has more than one possible claimant.
3. Locate the deceased artiste's membership identity card and note the membership number. If the card is lost, the Regional Centre can trace the membership from its records.
4. Submit the claim at the Regional Art and Cultural Centre for your district, or at the Directorate of Art and Culture, Chennai, if the family lives in Chennai district. Attach the death certificate, legal heir certificate, membership card, your Aadhaar and your bank passbook copy.
5. Add the accident evidence if applicable. For a claim of Rs 1,00,000 under accidental death, attach the post-mortem report, FIR or equivalent record establishing the accident.
6. Collect the acknowledgement with the file number, and follow up at the same Regional Centre. Payment is made into the claimant's bank account.

What documents are required?

How to check the status of a claim

There is no public online tracker for Folk Artistes Welfare Board claims. The working route is:

1. Keep the acknowledgement number given at the Regional Art and Cultural Centre.
2. Follow up at that Regional Centre, which forwards the claim to the board.
3. Escalate to the Directorate of Art and Culture, Chennai, if the claim remains pending.

Why claims fail, and how to avoid it

• The artiste was never registered. The single most common and most irreversible reason. Any working folk artiste in Tamil Nadu should register with the board now rather than later.
• Membership lapsed. Renewal is Rs 10 every two years — a trivial amount that protects a Rs 25,000 to Rs 1,00,000 claim.
• No legal heir certificate, which stalls the file at the verification stage.
• Accidental death claimed without evidence, in which case the board may settle at the Rs 25,000 natural death rate instead of Rs 1,00,000.
• Mismatch between the name on the membership card, the death certificate and the bank account. Correct these before submitting.

Register first. The practical advice

The most useful thing a folk artiste can do for their family is to register with the board while healthy and working. Applications go to the Regional Art and Cultural Centre in the district, or to the Directorate of Art and Culture for Chennai district residents, with:

• Proof of residence, age and family details (ration card, Aadhaar)
• A Village Administrative Officer's certificate confirming artiste status
• Three passport-size photographs and photographs of performances
• The Rs 100 registration fee

Renewal is Rs 10 every two years, and a duplicate identity card costs Rs 20.

Where to raise a grievance

• Regional Art and Cultural Centre for your district: Chennai, Kancheepuram, Thanjavur, Madurai, Salem, Tirunelveli, Tiruchirappalli and Coimbatore.
• Directorate of Art and Culture, Government of Tamil Nadu, Chennai.
• Department website: artandculture.tn.gov.in.

Death and funeral assistance is paid directly by the board to the legal heir's bank account. No agent or middleman can process this claim for a fee.