To provide social security to families living below the poverty line (BPL), the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) under the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) is running the National Family Benefit Scheme (NFBS). National Family Benefit Scheme (NFBS) scheme also colloquially called Parivarik Labh Yojana offers a one-time lump sum cash assistance of Rs. 20,000 to households who lost their primary breadwinner, to death. But the primary breadwinner has to be aged between 18 and 60 when he passed away. The death can be natural or accidental. However, note that states can modify the benefits of Parivarik Labh Yojana and several states such as Bihar and Uttar Pradesh provide Rs 30,000 under this scheme.
The NFBS or Parivarik Labh Yojana identifies the primary breadwinner based on who earned more, regardless of their gender. So even if a mother who passed away earned more than the father in a household they can be beneficiaries of this scheme. This approach ensures that the family member whose income significantly supports the household is recognized as the primary breadwinner.
Eligibility for NFBS or Parivarik Labh Yojana entails the family being listed on any of the Government of India-approved BPL lists. The primary breadwinner’s death, as mentioned above, must be between the ages of 18 and 60 when he or she passed away. The application for NBFS must be submitted within two years of the primary breadwinner’s death. The benefit is directed through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) towards the next breadwinner into his or her bank account.
To apply, eligible families can use the UMANG app or the official UMANG website. Login using your mobile number and OTP, fill out basic details. Required documents include the death certificate of the deceased breadwinner, his proof of identity, family ID of the current beneficiary, AAadhar seeded bank account, BPL card, proof of address etc. Then select the mode of payment, upload a photo, and submit the form.
There are also several sub-schemes of the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) available to people belonging to the Below Poverty Line (BPL) category such as the Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS), which provides a pension of Rs. 200 per month to women aged over 60 years, and a pension of Rs. 500 per month to those aged 80 years and above. Further, the Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme (IGNWPS) offers financial assistance to widows, providing a pension of Rs. 300 per month to those aged 40 years and above, and Rs. 500 per month to those aged 80 years and above.
