Uttar Pradesh Disability Schemes for Children: A Parent Guide

In Uttar Pradesh, disability schemes are run by the Divyangjan Sashaktikaran Vibhag (Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities), with an officer in every district. For a child, the schemes that help most right now are the state grant for aids and assistive devices, free travel in ordinary UPSRTC buses, and the department's special schools and Bachpan Day Care Centres. The Rs 1,000 a month divyang pension only starts at 18.

Almost everything begins with a disability certificate showing 40% or more and a UDID card. Pensions are applied for on sspy-up.gov.in, and the aids grant on the department's online portal or at the district office. Everything below is as of November 2026, from the department's own website; confirm amounts at your district office before applying.

How disability support works in Uttar Pradesh

The Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities Department was set up on 20 September 1995. Its directorate sits at Indira Bhawan, Ashok Marg, Lucknow, but the office you will actually deal with is the District Divyangjan Sashaktikaran Adhikari (called the District PwD Empowerment Officer on the department's English pages).

Three things decide most applications:

The 40% line. The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 defines a "person with benchmark disability" as someone with not less than 40% of a specified disability (Section 2(r)). Nearly every UP scheme uses this cut-off. Our guide to the RPwD Act for parents explains the 21 conditions it covers.
The certificate and UDID card. UP schemes ask for a certificate issued by the Chief Medical Officer or another competent medical authority, or the UDID card. Our walkthrough on getting a disability certificate covers the assessment itself.
Family income. Several schemes are limited to families below the poverty line. The department's pages give this as Rs 46,080 a year (rural) and Rs 56,460 a year (urban) per family. These figures are old, so ask whether a newer limit applies.

Central schemes that apply in Uttar Pradesh too

These national schemes apply in UP alongside the state ones.

UDID card: apply on swavlambancard.gov.in. The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) lists the fee as nil, a legal guardian can apply for a minor, and the card is sent free by speed post. See our UDID card how-to.
ADIP (aids and appliances): 100% subsidy for monthly family income up to Rs 22,500 and 50% for Rs 22,501 to Rs 30,000, with a 40% certificate and UDID card or enrolment number. Apply through an implementing agency or the ARJUN portal (adip.depwd.gov.in). ALIMCO helpline: 1800 180 5129.
Scholarships for students with disabilities: pre-matric (Class 9 and 10) and post-matric (Class 11 onwards) on the National Scholarship Portal, for 40% or more disability and family income up to Rs 2.5 lakh a year.
Niramaya health insurance from the National Trust, for autism, cerebral palsy, intellectual disability and multiple disabilities: see our Niramaya walkthrough.
Tax deductions for parents under Sections 80DD and 80U: see tax benefits for parents.
Railway concession for certain disabilities: see railway concession for children.

Uttar Pradesh disability schemes for children at a glance

Scheme	Who it is for	What it gives	Where to apply
Artificial limbs and assistive devices grant (Kritrim Ang/Sahayak Upkaran)	Any age, 40% or more, family income within the poverty line limit	Aids worth up to Rs 15,000 at one time: tricycle, wheelchair, CP chair, hearing aids, Braille kits, multi-sensory education kit for children with intellectual disability	divyangjanup.upsdc.gov.in or the district office; devices are handed out at district camps
Free bus travel (UPSRTC)	Any RPwD Act disability of 40% or more	Free travel in ordinary buses, inside and outside UP; one companion also free for 80% or more, or multiple disabilities	No form: show original Aadhaar plus the CMO certificate or UDID card when boarding
Bachpan Day Care Centres	Children with disabilities aged 3 to 7	Early education and training, visiting physiotherapist, speech trainer and psycho counsellor, free pick-up and drop	The centre or the district office
Government special schools (Mamta, Sanket, Sparsh, Prayas)	School-age children, by type of disability	Free education; Rs 2,000 a month spent on each boarding student's food, clothing and needs	The school or the district office
Divyang pension	18 and above, 40% or more, poverty line income	Rs 1,000 a month into an Aadhaar-seeded bank account	sspy-up.gov.in, a Jan Suvidha Kendra or Lokvani centre
Leprosy disability pension	Any age, disability due to leprosy at any percentage, below poverty line	Rs 3,000 a month, as listed by the department	sspy-up.gov.in

The aids grant: read the fine print

The department's scheme page says a medical officer must recommend the specific device, and the child must not have received an aid from any government in the last three years (one year for regular students). Income certificates are accepted from your MP, MLA, Tehsildar, BDO or Gram Pradhan, among others.

One caution: an older Hindi table on the same page shows a much smaller limit and a different income rule. If the district office quotes a figure other than Rs 15,000, ask which government order they are following.

Special schools and Bachpan Day Care Centres

According to the department's special schools page, Mamta schools for children with intellectual disability are in Lucknow (girls) and Prayagraj (boys). Sanket schools for deaf children run in Lucknow, Agra, Bareilly, Farrukhabad and Gorakhpur. Sparsh schools for visually impaired children are in Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Banda, Saharanpur and Meerut, and Prayas schools for children with physical disabilities are in Lucknow and Pratapgarh.

Bachpan Day Care Centres take children aged 3 to 7 in Lucknow, Prayagraj, Varanasi, Agra, Saharanpur, Jhansi, Bareilly and Gautam Budh Nagar, and prepare them for mainstream school. The page says centres were planned in ten more districts, so ask for the current list.

Why the divyang pension does not cover children

The divyang pension rules require the applicant to have turned 18 and not be getting another pension. Keep your child's certificate valid so you can apply the month they turn 18.

Schemes for when your child grows up

Later on, the department's marriage incentive (Rs 15,000 to Rs 35,000), shop scheme for ages 18 to 60, free motorised tricycle scheme and surgical grant for preventing disability may matter. Check current terms on the state schemes list.

How to apply in Uttar Pradesh, step by step

Get the certificate and UDID card. Register on swavlambancard.gov.in, pick the assessing hospital in your district and attend the assessment. Save the enrolment number. Our certificate timeline tool shows what to expect.
Get an income certificate. The pension rules accept one issued by a first class magistrate of the district. The aids scheme accepts the longer list above.
Seed a bank account with Aadhaar. Pension money goes only to an Aadhaar-seeded account through the Aadhaar Based Payment System.
Apply on the right portal. Pensions: sspy-up.gov.in. Aids: divyangjanup.upsdc.gov.in. Marriage incentive: divyangjan.upsdc.gov.in. Shop scheme: divyangjandukan.upsdc.gov.in. Pension and aids applications can also be made through a Jan Suvidha Kendra or Lokvani centre.
Wait for verification. The District Divyangjan Sashaktikaran Adhikari checks the application, and some schemes need the District Magistrate's approval. Pensions and aids are paid on a first come, first served basis, subject to budget.
Track the status online and save every acknowledgement number.

Take Meera in Kanpur, whose son Kabir, 9, has cerebral palsy. She got his UDID card first, then applied for a CP chair on the aids portal with the medical officer's recommendation attached.

Documents to keep ready

Disability certificate showing 40% or more, and the UDID card or enrolment number
Child's Aadhaar card (and a parent's, for the application)
Proof that you live in Uttar Pradesh
Income certificate from an accepted official
Aadhaar-seeded bank account details
Recent passport-size photographs
For the aids grant: a medical officer's written recommendation for the exact device
For students: a current school bonafide certificate

When an application gets stuck

Put every follow-up in writing. The department's pages name this escalation path:

District level: the District Divyangjan Sashaktikaran Adhikari, then the Chief Development Officer or District Magistrate.
State level: the Director, Divyangjan Sashaktikaran, Indira Bhawan, Ashok Marg, Lucknow (0522 2287267, as listed on the contact page).
Grievance portal: the state's Jansunwai portal, linked from the department site.
State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities: under Section 80 of the RPwD Act, the State Commissioner can inquire into denial of rights. The UP office has its own website with online applicant registration.
Certificate disputes: if you disagree with the percentage, Section 59 allows an appeal to the appellate authority the state has designated. Ask the CMO's office which office that is in your district.

Carely is a team of therapists offering home therapy in Bangalore, so we cannot file UP applications for you. Our free disability benefits calculator helps you list the benefits your child may qualify for before you visit the office, and our services page explains the therapy we offer.

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

Frequently asked questions

Can a child get the divyang pension in Uttar Pradesh?

No. The divyang pension is for people aged 18 and above with at least 40% disability and poverty line income. The leprosy disability pension has no age limit. For children, the aids grant, free bus travel and special schools are the main state supports.

What is the minimum disability percentage for UP schemes?

Most UP schemes, including the pension, aids grant and free bus travel, need a certificate showing 40% or more. This matches the "benchmark disability" definition in the RPwD Act. The leprosy pension accepts disability due to leprosy at any percentage.

Can my child travel free on UPSRTC buses with an escort?

Yes, if the certificate shows 80% or more disability, or multiple disabilities. Below 80% (but at least 40%), only the child travels free. The facility covers ordinary buses, not AC, sleeper or video coaches, and you must show the original Aadhaar and certificate or UDID card.

Is a disability certificate from another state valid in Uttar Pradesh?

Yes. Section 58(3) of the RPwD Act says a disability certificate is valid across the country. State schemes still have residence rules, though; the pension, for example, needs you to live in UP.

Are there UP government schools for children with autism or intellectual disability?

The department runs Mamta schools for children with intellectual disability in Lucknow and Prayagraj, and Bachpan Day Care Centres for children aged 3 to 7. Autism is not named separately, so ask the district office. Under Section 31 of the RPwD Act, children with benchmark disability aged 6 to 18 also have the right to free education in a neighbourhood or special school of their choice; our guide on when schools refuse inclusion helps if a school says no.

Sources

By The Carely Team