Procedural delays deprive many elderly women in Chennai of pension

Chennai: The old age pension scheme that the government introduced as income replacement and monetary aid to elderly persons has unfortunately failed to benefit the targeted section, especially women from economically weaker backgrounds.

Mary (60), who was working as a domestic worker until a year ago in Choolaimedu, tells DT Next that she has been requesting an elderly pension for months now, but all in vain. “I’ve been feeding myself by doing meagre jobs. I have five children, but all have their own financial issues. I don’t like to depend on them,” she explains.

Mary has been living alone in East Namachivayapuram. She was abandoned by her husband almost ten years ago. “When I approached the Tahsildar office in Chetpet, they asked me for my husband’s death certificate, but how do I procure that?” laments Mary, who has an eye operation this week.

Her family and friends are helping her out financially.

Kala (55), who has a flower shop at Nelson Manickam Road, has also been trying to procure elderly pension for her mother. “I’ve been trying to avail pension for my mother since before the pandemic exploded in 2019. Procedural issues prevent her from getting approval. The monthly amount of Rs 1,000 will help her buy medicines,” says Kala.

There are hundreds of elderly women in the city facing a similar hurdle, says V Dhanalakshmi, district secretary of All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA), Chennai.

“I’ve escorted several elderly women to different Tahsildar offices in the city over the past many years. Most do not have the right documents to avail the pension. Isn’t it the responsibility of the government and officials to guide the women through the process? Availing a pension shouldn’t be so difficult,” pointed out Dhanalakshmi.