Kerala to stop welfare pension delivery through cooperative banks, shifts to DBT

The Kerala government has decided to stop distributing social security and welfare pensions through cooperative banks and make Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to Aadhaar-linked bank accounts mandatory for all beneficiaries except bedridden patients.

According to a recent order issued by Additional Chief Secretary (LSGD) K.R. Jyothilal, the Finance Department has given in-principle approval for disbursing all social security and welfare fund board pensions through the DBT mode.

The decision ends the existing system under which cooperative banks delivered pension amounts directly to beneficiaries’ homes.

However, the government said bedridden beneficiaries and others who cannot be excluded from the doorstep delivery system would continue to receive pensions at their homes.

The order said the government had reviewed the existing system after repeated reports of delays in remitting undistributed pension amounts, failure to update records on time, reconciliation issues, and cases where pensions were paid more than once to the same person due to incomplete implementation of Aadhaar-based payments.

It also noted that the government was incurring incentive payments to cooperative banks for doorstep delivery of pensions and that continuing the existing system could result in the State losing Central financial assistance for not fully complying with DBT norms.

“The government has examined the matter in detail and has accorded in-principle approval for disbursing pensions through Direct Benefit Transfer to Aadhaar-linked bank accounts of all social security and welfare fund board pension beneficiaries, except those who are completely bedridden,” the order said.

With the new decision, cooperative bank employees will no longer deliver welfare pensions to beneficiaries’ homes, except in the case of bedridden patients, sources added.