West Bengal Disability Schemes for Children: A Parent Guide

As of November 2026, the main West Bengal disability benefit for families is the state disability pension known as Manabik, run by the Department of Women and Child Development and Social Welfare. It needs a disability certificate showing 40% or more. Students with disabilities from Class 9 upward can also apply for the state disability scholarship, called Sahanubhuti, through the Mass Education Extension and Library Services department.

You apply for the pension on a free paper form at the BDO office in rural areas, the SDO office in municipal areas, or the Controller of Vagrancy inside Kolkata Municipal Corporation, and you track it on the state's Samarth portal. The pension has been Rs 1,000 a month, and in July 2026 the state approved raising disability pensions to Rs 1,500, so confirm the amount your office is actually paying.

How disability support works in West Bengal

Three offices matter. The Department of Women and Child Development and Social Welfare at Bikash Bhavan, Salt Lake, runs social security pensions and lists persons with disabilities among the groups it serves. Within it, the Office of the State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, now at Subhanna (7th floor), Salt Lake, Kolkata 700064, implements schemes for rehabilitation, prosthetic aids and scholarships.

At district level, the District Social Welfare office does the day-to-day work. Howrah's district page, for example, lists the prosthetic aid scheme, the scholarship for students with disabilities below Class 9 and National Trust Act work alongside Manabik.

Almost every scheme starts with a disability certificate. Under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, a "person with benchmark disability" has 40% or more of a specified disability, and a certificate issued under the Act is valid across the country. Certificates now come through the UDID system: you apply online and are assessed by the medical board your district assigns. Our guide on how to apply for a disability certificate walks through the assessment day.

Central schemes that apply in West Bengal too

These work the same in Kolkata, Siliguri or Bankura, and they sit alongside the state schemes.

UDID card: apply on swavlambancard.gov.in. DEPwD runs the system and the application fee is nil. See our UDID how-to for parents.
ADIP aids and appliances: 100% subsidy if monthly family income is up to Rs 22,500 and 50% for Rs 22,501 to Rs 30,000. Apply through an implementing agency or the ARJUN portal (adip.depwd.gov.in). The ALIMCO helpline is 1800 180 5129 (ADIP details).
Central scholarships for students with disabilities: pre-matric for Class 9 and 10 and post-matric from Class 11, for 40% or more disability and family income up to Rs 2.5 lakh a year, on the National Scholarship Portal (DEPwD pre-matric page).
Niramaya health insurance for autism, cerebral palsy, intellectual disability and multiple disabilities: see our Niramaya walkthrough.
Income tax deductions for parents: our tax benefits guide.
Railway concession: how to apply for the concession card.

West Bengal disability schemes for children at a glance

Scheme	Who it is for	What it gives	Where to apply
Manabik (state disability pension)	40% or more disability; myScheme also lists 10 years' residence in West Bengal	Rs 1,000 a month by DBT; a July 2026 state decision raises disability pensions to Rs 1,500 (confirm at your office)	BDO or Panchayat Samity (rural), SDO (municipal areas), Controller of Vagrancy (KMC); track on Samarth
Sahanubhuti disability scholarship (Class 9 and above)	40% or more disability, family income up to Rs 2 lakh a year, 40% marks in the last exam	Monthly scholarship; 2017 rates: Class 9 and 10 Rs 300 (day scholar) or Rs 500 (hosteller), Class 11 and 12 Rs 400 or Rs 600	District Mass Education Extension Officer
Scholarship for students with disabilities below Class 9 (2010 scheme)	Students with disabilities below Class 9	Amount not published online	District Social Welfare office
Prosthetic aid scheme	Persons with disabilities identified by the district	Aids and appliances	District Social Welfare office
Legal guardianship under the National Trust Act	Autism, cerebral palsy, intellectual disability, multiple disabilities	A legal guardian once your child turns 18	District Social Welfare office

Manabik pension: the fine print

Manabik began in 2018 for people with 50% or more disability and family income under Rs 1 lakh a year. A department notification of 6 May 2020 (No. 1781-WCD) merged the older West Bengal Disability Pension Scheme, 2010 into Manabik under the Jai Bangla umbrella, lowered the threshold to 40% and removed the income limit altogether. On 21 July 2026, News On AIR reported that the state had approved raising its old age, widow and disability pensions from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500 a month from the following month.

Some official pages have not caught up. The national myScheme listing for Manabik still shows a family income condition and Rs 1,000, and the State Commissioner's scheme page still lists the 2010 pension. myScheme also lists a medical officer's declaration that the person cannot do physical work. None of the official pages we checked sets a minimum age, so ask your BDO or SDO office directly whether your child can be enrolled with you as guardian, and carry an income certificate in case the office asks for one.

The disability scholarship from Class 9

The 2024 to 2025 terms opened the scholarship to students with visual, hearing, orthopaedic and mental impairment of 40% or more. Students already getting a similar state or central scholarship that year cannot apply. Autism and specific learning disability are not named, so ask the District Mass Education Extension Officer before assuming either way.

The window is short. In 2024 forms had to reach the district office by 27 December, and the 2025 to 2026 round ran until 28 November 2025 according to the Darjeeling district notice. The rates in the table come from a 2017 government memo, which also set reader, transport and escort allowances and a yearly book and equipment grant. They may have been revised since.

How to apply in West Bengal, step by step

Get the disability certificate and UDID first. Every scheme here asks for it, and the percentage on it decides what you can claim.
Keep a bank account ready for direct benefit transfer, and ask the office whether it should be in your child's name or joint with you.
Collect the Manabik form free of cost from the BDO or Panchayat Samity office (rural), the SDO office (municipal areas outside KMC) or the Office of the Controller of Vagrancy (KMC).
Address the form to the District Magistrate (in KMC, to the Controller of Vagrancy), attach self-attested copies and submit it. Ask for a dated receipt and photograph it.
Track the application and payments on samarth.wb.gov.in, which the state describes as one umbrella for all its social pension schemes.
For the Class 9 and above scholarship, watch your district website and school notice board from October. Forms and guidelines are published on meels.wb.gov.in and go to the District Mass Education Extension Officer.
For the below Class 9 scholarship, prosthetic aids and National Trust guardianship, visit the District Social Welfare office.

Documents to keep ready

Self-attested copy of the disability certificate, with the UDID number if issued
Aadhaar card
Digital ration card or EPIC (voter ID) card
Front page of the bank passbook
Colour passport-size photographs
Proof of residence in West Bengal
For the scholarship: last year's marksheet, school or college details, and an income certificate in the prescribed format signed by the Panchayat Pradhan, local councillor, BDO, MLA, MP or a gazetted officer

Keep a scanned set on your phone and in a family WhatsApp group, so a relative in Kolkata or back in the district can resend a copy if one goes missing.

When an application gets stuck

Start with a short written follow-up to the office where you submitted, quoting your receipt number and date. If nothing moves, write to the District Magistrate, to whom the application is addressed, and keep copies of everything.

If a right is being denied, the State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities can step in: section 80 of the RPwD Act lets the Commissioner inquire into deprivation of rights, on a complaint or on their own, and take it up with the authorities. If the problem is the certificate itself, such as a percentage you believe is too low, section 59 lets you appeal to the appellate authority the state has designated. Our practical guide to disability rights covers the wider picture, and our National Trust Act explainer covers guardianship.

Carely is a Bangalore team of therapists, so we cannot file West Bengal forms for you. Before your block office visit, try our free disability benefits calculator to list the central benefits your child may qualify for. If your family is in Bangalore, our home therapy services cover speech, occupational and behaviour therapy.

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

Frequently asked questions

What is the Manabik pension amount in 2026?

Manabik has paid Rs 1,000 a month since the 2020 notification. In July 2026 the state approved raising disability pensions to Rs 1,500 a month from the following month. Check the credits in your passbook or on the Samarth portal to see which amount your child is receiving.

Can a child get the Manabik disability pension?

The official pages we checked do not set a minimum age; they ask for a certificate of 40% or more and residence in West Bengal. Because some listings mention a medical officer's declaration about inability to do physical work, ask your BDO or SDO office how they handle applications for children before you submit.

Is there an income limit for Manabik?

The May 2020 notification removed the earlier limit of Rs 1 lakh a year in family income. Some government listings still mention an income condition, so carry an income certificate anyway to avoid a second trip.

Does autism qualify for the West Bengal disability scholarship?

The 2024 to 2025 state terms name visual, hearing, orthopaedic and mental impairment, but not autism or specific learning disability. Ask the District Mass Education Extension Officer. The central pre-matric and post-matric scholarships go by benchmark disability under the RPwD Act, which includes autism at 40% or more.

How do I check Manabik pension status?

Use the Track Applicant Status option on samarth.wb.gov.in, the state's umbrella portal for social pensions. Keep your receipt number and Aadhaar handy.

Can my child get both the state and central disability scholarships?

No. The state terms bar students who already receive a similar state or central scholarship that year, and the central scheme also allows only one scholarship. Pick whichever pays more for your child's class.

Sources

By The Carely Team