Telangana Disability Schemes for Children: A Parent Guide

In Telangana, most support for a disabled child comes from two places. The monthly disability pension, known for years as Aasara and now handled on the state's Cheyutha portal, is run by the Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP). Scholarships, aids and appliances, hostels and special schools sit with the Department for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Senior Citizens and Transgender Persons. For almost all of it, your child needs a disability certificate showing 40% or more.

As of November 2026, the last government figure we could verify for the disability pension is Rs 4,016 a month, and a disabled child can receive it through a parent. The pension goes through your DRDA or municipal office, scholarships and aids are applied for online, and the free bus pass comes from a TGSRTC counter. The details, documents and catches are below.

How disability support works in Telangana

The pension sits with SERP under the Panchayat Raj and Rural Development department, under rules laid down in G.O.Ms.No.17 of November 2014 and amended since. Everything else, from scholarships to hearing aids, is handled by the District Welfare Officer for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Senior Citizens and Transgender Persons.

The certificate opens each door. For over a decade Telangana assessed disability through SADAREM, and the 2014 pension rules ask for 40% "under SADAREM assessment". The state has since moved to UDID: district hospital pages, such as Suryapet's, now say their SADAREM camps have been "converted to UDID". If your child has an older SADAREM certificate, ask your MPDO or the DRDA office whether it is still accepted for the scheme you are applying for.

The 40% line comes from the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, which defines a "person with benchmark disability" as someone with not less than 40% of a specified disability. Our guide to the RPwD Act for Indian parents explains the 21 conditions it covers, and how to apply for a disability certificate walks through the assessment itself.

Central schemes that apply in Telangana too

These national schemes sit on top of the state schemes below.

UDID card: apply on swavlambancard.gov.in or at a MeeSeva centre. Our UDID card how-to covers each step.
ADIP aids and appliances: 100% subsidy for families earning up to Rs 22,500 a month and 50% for Rs 22,501 to Rs 30,000, through implementing agencies or the ARJUN portal (adip.depwd.gov.in). ALIMCO's helpline is 1800 180 5129.
Central scholarships: pre-matric (Class 9 and 10) and post-matric (Class 11 onward) scholarships for students with 40% or more disability and family income up to Rs 2.5 lakh a year, on the National Scholarship Portal.
Niramaya health insurance from the National Trust, explained in our Niramaya walkthrough.
Income tax deductions for parents, covered in tax benefits for parents of children with disabilities.
Railway concession for some disability categories, explained in our railway concession guide.

Telangana disability schemes for children at a glance

This table draws on the Telangana State Legal Services Authority's 2025 note on schemes for children with disabilities and the pension orders on the Cheyutha portal. Confirm amounts before you apply.

Scheme	Who it is for	What it gives	Where to apply
Disability pension (Aasara, now Cheyutha)	Any age, 40% or more certified disability, household within the eligibility rules	Rs 4,016 a month (last verified rate); paid to the mother or father of a minor	District Collector or DRDA office; MPDO or municipal office
Pre-matric scholarship	Students with disabilities in Classes 1 to 10	Yearly scholarship of Rs 700 to Rs 1,820 depending on class, plus small allowances	telanganaepass.cgg.gov.in
Post-matric scholarship	OC students with disabilities, Intermediate and above	Fee reimbursement, plus Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,500 a year for hostel maintenance	telanganaepass.cgg.gov.in
Aids and appliances	Depends on the aid and the child's age	Free assistive aids, from calipers to hearing aids and learning material	tgobmms.cgg.gov.in
Free or concessional bus pass	Listed categories only (see below)	Free travel in City Ordinary buses, 50% off normal fares up to Deluxe	TGSRTC bus pass counter
Inclusive education (Samagra Shiksha)	Children with special needs	Bhavitha centres, weekly home-based education, aids, transport allowance	Your school or the mandal resource centre
Residential schools, hostels and homes	Children with visual or hearing impairment; students with disabilities	Free boarding and lodging	District Welfare Officer

The disability pension amount, honestly

The disabled pension rose from Rs 1,500 (2014) to Rs 3,016 (June 2019) and then to Rs 4,016 in July 2023, as All India Radio reported. The Legal Services Authority's May 2025 note still lists Rs 4,016. We found no later government order changing this amount as of November 2026. Ask your MPDO what is being paid this month.

Two rules in the 2014 order help families. For a minor, the pension is paid to the mother or father. And the one-pension-per-household limit does not apply to disability pensions, so a grandparent's old age pension does not block your child's. The order excludes better-off households using land, vehicles and, after an amendment, household income above Rs 1.5 lakh a year (rural) or Rs 2 lakh (urban). It also set 51% as the minimum for hearing impairment, worth rechecking under UDID.

New pension applications are usually taken in windows announced by the government, so watch for notices from your MPDO or municipal office.

Aids for younger children

Calipers and splints start at age 2, teaching and learning material is given to children with intellectual disabilities from age 1 to 18, hearing aids go to children aged 5 to 18 with 51% or more hearing disability, and Braille books cover ages 5 to 18.

The bus pass covers fewer conditions

The TGSRTC pass list names visual impairment (100%), deaf and dumb (100%), locomotor disability (40%), intellectual disability with IQ below 69, and leprosy cured persons (40% and above). Autism, ADHD and learning disabilities are not listed by name. A child with autism and an IQ assessment below 69 may qualify under intellectual disability, so ask the counter staff before you assume either way.

Bhavitha centres and home-based education

Under Samagra Shiksha, Bhavitha centres at mandal headquarters run school readiness programmes with therapy equipment, mid-day meals and transport allowance. For children who cannot attend, special educators visit at home once a week, train parents and track progress with an IEP. Our piece on IEP-style plans in Indian schools explains what a good plan looks like.

How to apply in Telangana, step by step

Get the certificate first. New applicants apply for UDID through a MeeSeva centre or the UDID portal and attend the assessment at the designated government hospital. If your child already has a SADAREM certificate, ask the DRDA office how to get the UDID card issued.
Get an income certificate from MeeSeva, and make sure your child's Aadhaar is linked to the bank account you will use.
Apply for the pension at the District Collector or DRDA office, or the MPDO or municipal office, when a sanction window is open. Applications are entered online, checked in the field and approved by the Collector. Keep the acknowledgement number.
Register for scholarships on telanganaepass.cgg.gov.in every academic year, before the deadline your school announces.
Apply for aids on tgobmms.cgg.gov.in, with a specialist's recommendation where the aid needs one.
Get the bus pass at a TGSRTC bus pass counter with the certificate and photos.
Ask about school support at the Mandal Education Office.

Documents to keep ready

UDID card or enrolment number, or an older SADAREM certificate
Child's Aadhaar, and the parent's Aadhaar
Age proof: a birth certificate from the municipal authority or registrar, or a school certificate
Income certificate and ration card (Food Security Card)
Bank passbook with the account number and IFSC
Recent passport-size photos of the child
School bonafide certificate for scholarships and school allowances
Specialist's recommendation for calipers, limbs or wheelchairs

When an application gets stuck

Start with a written follow-up quoting the acknowledgement number, copied to the DRDA project director (pensions) or the District Welfare Officer (scholarships and aids). The District Collector's Prajavani grievance sessions are the next step.

If the issue is a denial of rights rather than a slow file, write to the State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities. The Act gives this office power to inquire into deprivation of rights under Section 80, and in Telangana the Director, Welfare of Disabled and Senior Citizens, is designated State Commissioner. Complaints can be filed online at scpwd.telangana.gov.in; a 2025 RCI list gives the office as Vikalangula Sankshema Bhavan, Nalgonda X Roads, Malakpet, Hyderabad (040 24559048). If you disagree with the percentage on the certificate, Section 59 gives you the right to appeal; ask the hospital which appellate board handles it.

Carely offers home-based speech, occupational and behaviour therapy in Bangalore, and many of our families hold certificates from other states. To see which central and state benefits your child's certificate may open, try our free disability benefits calculator, or read about our therapy services.

Comparing states? See our guides for Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Kerala, Delhi, West Bengal, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh.

Frequently asked questions

How much is the disability pension in Telangana in 2026?

The last rate we could verify is Rs 4,016 a month, set in July 2023 and still listed by the State Legal Services Authority in 2025. As of November 2026 we found no later order changing it, so confirm the current amount at your MPDO or municipal office.

Can a child get the Aasara or Cheyutha disability pension?

Yes. The pension is sanctioned irrespective of age, and for a minor it is paid to the mother or father. Your child needs a certificate of 40% or more, and the household must meet the eligibility rules.

Is SADAREM still valid, or do we need UDID?

New certificates now come through UDID, which other states also recognise. If you hold only an older SADAREM certificate, ask the DRDA office whether it is still accepted and how to get the UDID card.

Does a child with autism get the free TGSRTC bus pass?

Autism is not named on the pass list. Some autistic children with an IQ assessment below 69 qualify under intellectual disability, so ask at the counter with your certificate.

Will a certificate from another state work in Telangana?

Under Section 58 of the RPwD Act, a disability certificate is valid across the country, and the UDID card is built for this. State pensions still need local residence and fresh verification.

Sources

By The Carely Team