Complete guide to West Bengal Widow Pension — eligibility, application process, checking application status on the WB Samarth portal, pension amount and how to restart a stopped pension.
Tick off the required papers as you gather them for your application:
For poor women who have lost their husbands, the West Bengal Widow Pension (Bidhoba Bhata) is one of the state government’s most important social security schemes — a monthly pension directly into the bank account (DBT) at the end of each month. But after submitting an application, many get stuck at the same place: Where is my application? Has it been approved? And for existing beneficiaries, the allowance sometimes stops suddenly.
This guide brings together — eligibility, the correct way to apply, the steps to check your status on the WB Samarth portal, and how to restart the allowance if it stops.
⚠️ Limited to one scheme: Widow pension and Lakshmir Bhandar cannot be received together. Verify which is right for you at the block office’s social welfare section.
Applications for the widow pension are mainly offline and camp-based, but status can be checked online.
Status not found? If the application was submitted long ago (especially as an NSAP-linked old pension), you can also check on the central NSAP tracker with the application number and captcha. On mobile, central pension status is also available on the UMANG app.
These are the usual reasons behind a widow pension stopping suddenly:
| Cause | Symptom | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Life certificate / annual verification pending | Payments stopped from a particular month | Submit the life certificate at the panchayat/block office and get re-verification |
| NPCI-DBT link inactive | Payment Failed/Returned on the portal | Go to the bank and submit the Aadhaar-DBT (NPCI) mandate form |
| Account inactive (Dormant) | No transactions for a long time | Go to the bank, reactivate the account and complete Full KYC |
| Name/data mismatch | Different spellings in Aadhaar and bank | Submit a correction form at the block office |
| Detected as receiving another scheme’s allowance | Duplicate with Lakshmir Bhandar/Annapurna | Explain at the block office and choose one scheme |
Whatever the cause — submitting a written application + receipt speeds things up. After correction, the stuck arrears are recovered along with the next instalment.
In 2026 the monthly allowance was announced to rise from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500; the money arrives at the bank via DBT. Confirm the latest amount at your local office.
On the WB Samarth portal’s ‘Track Applicant Status’ — Application ID, Aadhaar number or registered mobile number, any one.
There is no fixed deadline — it can take a few weeks to a few months depending on the camp and block. Keep the receipt number and check the status regularly; if nothing has moved for a long time, contact the block office.
No — one person can be a beneficiary of only one monthly pension scheme at a time.
Yes. Once the reason for rejection (missing documents, data mismatch) is fixed, a new application can be made at the next camp or at the block office.
🛡️ Don’t pay an agent in the name of receiving the allowance — applications are free. Never share your OTP, Aadhaar number or bank PIN with anyone over the phone. Contact only
.gov.inportals and the block/municipality office.
Related articles: To learn about the pension for those above 60 years, read Bardhakya Bhata: guide to applying at Seva Setu camps and checking status. If the allowance money isn’t reaching the bank, see the payment problem troubleshooting guide — the NPCI/DBT rule applies to the widow pension too.
The old socialsecurity.wb.gov.in (WB Samarth) portal has now moved to socialregistry.wb.gov.in — log in there through Citizen Login with the application's mobile number + OTP to view the status and state of the application. For older NSAP-linked pensions, you can also check on the nsap.dord.gov.in application tracker with the application number.
The main route is the Duare Sarkar / Seva Setu camp, or collecting Form-P from the BDO, SDO, DSWO or municipality office and submitting it. Status can be tracked online; in some cases applications can also be made through the e-District portal. Rules may differ by area — check with the block office.
In 2026 the government announced an increase in the monthly allowance from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500 (the same increase applies to old age and disability pensions). The money comes directly to the bank account via DBT. Confirm the latest amount at your local social welfare office.
No. Under state government rules, a beneficiary receives only one scheme's monthly allowance at a time. To receive the widow pension, you must not be receiving the Lakshmir Bhandar/Annapurna allowance.
Payments are usually held up by a pending life certificate/verification, bank NPCI-DBT issues, or data mismatches. Check the status on the Samarth portal, verify DBT linking at the bank, and contact the block/municipality office with documents for re-verification. Arrears can be recovered after correction.
Contact the official West Bengal Government helpline for immediate resolution.