Delhi simplifies rules for surviving spouses to avail of coronavirus financial assistance

The Delhi government on Wednesday said a surviving member certificate will no longer be needed to claim financial assistance under a scheme concerning the death of a spouse due to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19)

The Delhi government on Wednesday said a surviving member certificate will no longer be needed to claim financial assistance under a scheme concerning the death of a spouse due to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).

A relative of a coronavirus disease victim outside a hospital in Delhi. (PTI)

The financial assistance scheme for Covid-19 deaths was notified on June 23 this year, after the second wave of the pandemic took a heavy toll in Delhi. It covers a one time assistance of ₹50,000 for each Covid-19 death in the family and a monthly assistance of ₹2,500 for families that lost their primary breadwinner and also for children orphaned by the viral disease.

The government has so far received around 11,000 applications for financial assistance, of which around 8,500 applications pertain to the one-time assistance of ₹50,000. The remaining are for monthly assistance of ₹2,500 over the death of the breadwinner of the family. Of the total applications received, around 7,800 have been approved, said a senior official in the government.

Delhi has recorded around 25,100 Covid-19 deaths so far, according to the state health bulletin figures.

Earlier, for applying under the death of a spouse scheme, one had to approach the offices of the revenue department concerned and obtain a document called the surviving member certificate, and the whole process took around a week or more, what with applications piling up at the offices of tehsildars and subdivisional magistrates. “This certificate requirement has now been done away with in cases in which the claimant is a spouse. The move is expected to reduce the paperwork burden significantly,” said the official mentioned above, asking not to be named.

For all other claimants, such as mother/father or children, a surviving member certificate is necessary, the official clarified.

Also, of the total applications received for financial assistance so far, the government did not share a break-up of how many of these were from married persons.

“Revenue minister Kailash Gahlot chaired a high level meeting (on Wednesday) with department officials to review the ‘Mukhyamantri Covid-19 Parivar Arthik Sahayata Yojna ( the chief minister’s Covid-19 financial aid for families scheme)’... During the meeting, it has been decided that under this yojna there will no longer be a need for obtaining a surviving member certificate (SMC) from the applicant in cases where one of the spouses is alive,” the government said in a statement on Wednesday.

It further said, “However, the requirement of a surviving member certificate will remain in force for the grant of ex gratia for other applicants. In cases where the deceased was a single parent, the surviving children are entitled to the ex gratia, equally distributed among all children. But for that, the name of the applicant should be reflected in the SMC. Similarly, if the deceased is unmarried or is a minor son/daughter, the father or mother of the deceased will get relief under the scheme subject to their name appearing in the SMC.”