Maintenance Grant for Children with Disabilities from Birth (Divyang Bharan Poshan Anudan)

What is the Maintenance Grant for Children with Disabilities from Birth?

The Maintenance Grant for Children with Disabilities from Birth, known in Hindi as the Divyang Bharan Poshan Anudan, is a welfare scheme of the Department of Social Welfare, Government of Uttarakhand. The scheme gives a small monthly grant to a parent or guardian who is raising a child with a disability, so that the extra cost of the child's care, nutrition and treatment does not fall entirely on a low-income family.

According to the Uttarakhand Department of Social Welfare, the grant is Rs 700 per month and is paid to the parent or legal guardian for the upkeep of a disabled child up to 18 years of age. Because the child is a minor, the money is credited to the caring adult's bank account through Direct Benefit Transfer. The scheme is part of the state's Samajik Suraksha (social security) framework and is administered through the same SSP portal used for old-age, widow and disability pensions.

The grant recognises that a child with a certified disability of 40 percent or more needs continuous care from birth, and that many such families cannot afford special food, mobility aids or repeated medical visits without support.

Who is eligible for the Divyang Bharan Poshan grant?

You can apply if all of the following are true:

• You are a parent or legal guardian of the child and a resident of Uttarakhand.
• The child has a certified disability of 40 percent or more from a competent medical authority.
• The child is 18 years of age or younger.
• Your family income is within the notified ceiling, or your household holds a BPL card.

You cannot apply / are not eligible if:

• The child's certified disability is below 40 percent.
• The child is older than 18 years; in that case the adult disability pension applies instead.
• Your family income is above the ceiling and you do not hold a BPL card.
• You are not a resident of Uttarakhand.

Where both parents have died or the child is in the care of a guardian, the guardian who actually looks after the child can apply, with documentary proof of guardianship.

How much is the grant and how is it paid?

The scheme pays Rs 700 per month for each eligible disabled child. The money is transferred directly to the parent's or guardian's Aadhaar-seeded bank account through DBT, so there is no cash handling and no deduction. Like other Uttarakhand social-security payments, the grant is generally released in instalments covering several months at a time. There is no yearly re-application, but the family should keep the disability certificate current, especially where the certifying authority has fixed a review date.

What documents are required?

Self-attest each photocopy and carry the originals for verification. The disability certificate is the single most important document — the whole eligibility check turns on the certified percentage.

How to apply for the maintenance grant online

1. Open the state pension portal at ssp.uk.gov.in and register or log in.
2. Choose the option to file a new online application.
3. Select the Divyang Bharan Poshan (disability maintenance) grant from the scheme list.
4. Fill in the child's details, the applicant's details, disability information, address and bank details.
5. Upload the disability certificate, age proof, income or BPL proof, Aadhaar, residence proof, bank passbook and photograph.
6. Enter the captcha and submit, then save the acknowledgement/application number.
7. Track the status later using the same number on the portal.

How to apply offline

1. In a rural area, approach the Gram Panchayat Development Officer (Village Development Officer); in a town, go to the district social welfare office.
2. Collect and fill the application form for the disability maintenance grant.
3. Attach self-attested copies of all required documents, including the disability certificate.
4. Submit the form and collect a dated receipt.
5. The office verifies the child's disability, age, residence and family income before sanctioning the grant.

How do I check the status of my application?

Use the application-status option on ssp.uk.gov.in and enter your application number to see whether the case is pending, verified, sanctioned or rejected. After sanction, the same portal shows the payment history so you can confirm each credit reached the bank account.

Common reasons applications are rejected

• Disability certificate below 40 percent or from a non-authorised issuer.
• Child's age above 18, which moves the case to the adult disability pension.
• Family income above the ceiling without a BPL card.
• Bank account not Aadhaar-seeded, so the DBT credit fails.
• Name or Aadhaar mismatch between the child's and the parent's records.

Fix the specific reason shown in the status screen and re-submit; most rejections are documentary, not a permanent bar.

What happens when the child turns 18?

The maintenance grant is designed for a child from birth up to 18 years of age, so the payment stops once the child crosses 18. At that stage the family should apply for the regular disability pension for adults, which the Uttarakhand Department of Social Welfare runs through the same ssp.uk.gov.in portal for persons with 40 percent or more disability. Planning this transition a few months before the child's 18th birthday avoids a gap in support: gather a current disability certificate, an updated Aadhaar and the bank details, and file the adult disability pension application so that one benefit flows into the other.

Keeping the grant running and periodic verification

The grant does not need a fresh application every year, but the Department of Social Welfare conducts periodic verification to confirm the child is alive, still resident in Uttarakhand and still within the eligibility conditions. Where the disability certificate carries a review or validity date, get it renewed before it lapses, because an expired certificate is a common reason a payment is held. Keep the parent's or guardian's bank account active and Aadhaar-seeded, and respond promptly to any verification notice from the Village Development Officer or district social welfare office. If a credit stops, check the pension-detail page on ssp.uk.gov.in first to see the reason before filing anything new.

Related support for families of disabled children

Beyond this maintenance grant, families in Uttarakhand may also be eligible for other Social Welfare support such as the adult disability pension once the child turns 18, assistive-device and equipment grants, and scholarships for students with disabilities. The district social welfare office can advise which of these a particular family qualifies for, so it is worth asking about the full set of benefits rather than only the maintenance grant.

Grievance and helpline

For a delayed or rejected grant, first raise it with the Village Development Officer or the district social welfare office that holds your file. The Department of Social Welfare also runs toll-free helplines, including 18001804236. Keep your application number ready. The grant is entirely free: no official or agent may charge to add a child's name to the list.