How the old age pension is delivered in Kerala

Well, I applied for an old age pension for Dad via the Akshaya center in Kerala a while back. I don’t remember exactly when but am pretty sure it took more than 3 months for it to get processed.

I had almost forgotten about it since I didn’t get an update after the verification process was over. But this month Dad started receiving the old age pension. The verification is done by the village officer. It’s a normal call enquiring how many storey buildings you have and how many vehicles you have or do you own a four-wheeler etc.

The process goes like this. A lady came to our house to deliver the pension. The amount is 1600 for senior citizens today. The minimum age you need to qualify for this criteria is 60 years. The lady was pretty strict about handing over that amount. She asked my dad whether the amount could be handed over to my sister and gave my sister the money. They gave it for May and June so am guessing it started in May even though I had applied for it in January I think.

When asked if there was a particular date when the pensions are dispatched, she said there are no fixed timings on this yet and that it’s not given out every month. Maybe every 2 or 3 months you will receive the amount.

Also, there are two ways to collect the pension. One is via cash — which the lady will deliver to the house. The other is if you open an account with a cooperative bank. We opted for the cash one as it’s better if the lady saw the recipient and handed over the pension herself.

It’s a great help for families who have to spend a lot on medicines each month and given the morbidity rates in Kerala it’s a big boon to the families.

I use Medium to write about my experiences so that on my last day on Earth I can go through all my writings and bring a smile to my face. Plus this could be something for the coming generations to remember me by. Keep enjoying your life folks! Thank you for reading