Pension for widows and single women (NTR Bharosa)
Who can get Andhra Pradesh’s NTR Bharosa pension for widows and single women (₹4,000 a month), which documents you need and how to apply at the secretariat.
About this guidePending verification
Published on 12-11-2026. Not every fact has been checked against its official source yet: confirm at the office.
For whom: Widows and single women (separated, divorced or never married) from poor families living in Andhra Pradesh, and family members helping them.
Answer the questions below first. Then the documents and steps open.
1Your situation
We show only what your answers need.
- Which of these is the woman applying?
- Which of these describes you?
- Does your family have a rice card?
- Does your family have any of these? A government employee or a government pensioner. An income tax payer. A family income of ₹10,000 a month or more in a village, or ₹12,000 or more in a town. 3 acres or more of wet land, or 10 acres or more of dry land, or 10 acres or more of both together. A four-wheeler (a taxi, tractor or auto does not count). Electricity use of 300 units a month or more at home (owned or rented). In a town, own property with a built-up area of 750 square feet or more. Someone else in the family already getting a pension under this scheme (a second pension is allowed in some cases, such as a family with someone who has 80% or more disability or is on dialysis). Who is in the family is worked out from Aadhaar, rice card data and the Praja Sadhikara Survey (2019 order).
- Do you already get any other pension?
Your answers stay on this phone.
Each step below says who it is for. Confirm yours at the office, then change your answer here.
We could not confirm whether this applies to you
The NTR Bharosa rules say the pensioner must be a local resident of the district. They do not say how someone living in another state is treated. Ask at the Swarna Gramam or Swarna Wardu office of the place in Andhra Pradesh where you would apply.
Sources: 5, 3
We could not confirm whether this applies to you
The NTR Bharosa pension rules we read (the SERP pension website and the September 2026 memo) say nothing about Indian citizens living abroad. They say only that the pensioner must be a local resident of the district, that the applicant's details are checked against Aadhaar eKYC, and that staff visit the home to verify. Before applying, ask at your Swarna Gramam or Swarna Wardu office (village or ward secretariat), or at the MPDO or Municipal Commissioner’s office, whether you can get this pension.
Sources: 5, 4
We could not confirm whether this applies to you
The NTR Bharosa pension rules we read (the SERP pension website and the September 2026 memo) say nothing about OCI cardholders. They say only that the pensioner must be a local resident of the district, that the applicant's details are checked against Aadhaar eKYC, and that staff visit the home to verify. Under the Ministry of Home Affairs notification S.O. 1050(E) of 4 March 2021, an OCI cardholder is a foreign national, not an Indian citizen, and in economic, financial and educational fields the notification does not name has the same rights as a foreigner. Before applying, ask at your Swarna Gramam or Swarna Wardu office (village or ward secretariat), or at the MPDO or Municipal Commissioner’s office, whether you can get this pension.
Sources: 5, 4, 10
We could not confirm whether this applies to you
The NTR Bharosa pension rules we read (the SERP pension website and the September 2026 memo) say nothing about foreign nationals. They say only that the pensioner must be a local resident of the district, that the applicant's details are checked against Aadhaar eKYC, and that staff visit the home to verify. Before applying, ask at your Swarna Gramam or Swarna Wardu office (village or ward secretariat), or at the MPDO or Municipal Commissioner’s office, whether you can get this pension.
Sources: 5, 4
This route does not apply to your situation
Under the 2022 order (G.O.Ms.No.22), a married woman who is separated or deserted can get the single women’s pension only if, on the date it is sanctioned, she is over 50 and has lived apart for more than a year.
→ You can apply once you are over 50 and have lived apart for more than a year. If you need help or free legal aid now, see this guide:
→ Women's helpline and protection from domestic violence
Sources: 3
This route does not apply to your situation
Under the 2022 order (G.O.Ms.No.22), an unmarried woman can get the single women’s pension only if she is 50 or older, in a village or a town, and has no support from her family.
→ You can apply once you are 50 (if your family does not support you).
Sources: 3
This route does not apply to your situation
Under the rules of the 2019 order (G.O.Ms.No.174), which are used to check new applications, a family with any of these cannot get this pension. Applications are also checked against the list of existing pensioners.
→ If you think this is wrong, get the endorsement with the reasons from the WEA or WWDS at the secretariat, then file a grievance on PGRS.
Sources: 2, 4, 9
This route does not apply to your situation
Under the 2022 order (G.O.Ms.No.22), a single woman must not be enrolled in any other social security pension scheme and must not be a pensioner of any public or private pension scheme. Applications are checked against the list of existing pensioners.
→ If you think this is wrong, get the endorsement with the reasons from the WEA or WWDS at the secretariat, then file a grievance on PGRS.
Sources: 3, 5, 4, 9
We could not confirm whether this applies to you
The pension website lists, as a rule common to all pensions, that the applicant is not covered under any other pension scheme. The 2019 order (G.O.Ms.No.174), under which new applications are checked, does not have that rule in those words: it says no government employee or pensioner in the family, and normally one pension in a family. Ask at the secretariat whether the pension you get stops you from applying.
Sources: 5, 2, 4
2Documents you need
Tick the ones you have. They are kept in this browser.
Details
If you don't have it: Given at the Swarna Gramam or Swarna Wardu office. The memo says it is also put up for download on the NTR Bharosa pension website and the Swarna Gramam/Swarna Wardu department’s website.
Not confirmed: We did not see the form; on 1 November 2026 we found no link to it on the pension website. Ask at the office.
Sources: 4
Details
Sources: 4
Details
Sources: 4, 5
Details
If you don't have it: Ask at the secretariat how to get one.
Sources: 4, 2
Details
The orders name no other proof of the death.
Sources: 4, 2, 7
Details
Not confirmed: The memo asks for the husband's Aadhaar number; it does not say whether a copy of the card is needed or the number is enough. Ask at the secretariat.
Sources: 4
Details
A copy of the decree. The 2022 order (G.O.Ms.No.22) asks for this decree also from women who are separated or deserted.
Sources: 4, 3
Details
The certificate is valid for one year (2022 order).
If you don't have it: From the Tahsildar office. Ask at the secretariat how to apply for it.
Not confirmed: We did not check, for this guide, how this certificate is issued, how long it takes or what it costs.
Sources: 4, 3
Nothing to get ready before these steps.
3Your steps
· Do them in order. Tick each one when it is done.
- Do this now
Know the scheme: in Andhra Pradesh, widows and single women get ₹4,000 a month under the "NTR Bharosa Pension Scheme", which SERP runs.
New applications are checked under the rules of the 2019 order (G.O.Ms.No.174): a poor family (the income, land and other limits are in the questions below), age as in Aadhaar, and normally one pension in a family. For the widow’s pension the woman must be 18 or older and her husband’s death certificate must be given.
Sources: 1, 2, 4
- Do this nowIf: My husband has died (widow)
If your husband was getting an old age, disabled, weaver, fishermen or toddy tapper pension under this scheme, the 2019 order says the pension is then sanctioned to you, his wife, at the widow’s rate (the "Spouse Pension").
Tell the secretariat about his death as soon as you can and ask how to get it.
Not confirmed
The order does not say from which month this pension starts, what you must give, or whether you must wait for the dates when new applications are taken. The 2026 memo on new applications does not mention it. Ask at the secretariat.
Sources: 2
- Do this now
Ask at your Swarna Gramam or Swarna Wardu office (village or ward secretariat) whether new pension applications are being taken now.
The September 2026 memo set dates for taking them: 7 to 16 September 2026. New pensions are then sanctioned category by category, in phases.
Not confirmed
The memo does not say whether applications are taken after 16 September 2026, and we found no official notice of other dates.
Sources: 4, 8
- Do this now
When applications are open, give the filled form and your documents at the secretariat to the Digital Assistant (in a village) or the Ward Education and Data Processing Secretary (WEDPS, in a town).
They register it online and give you a computer-generated acknowledgement. Keep it.
Not confirmed
The memo does not say whether there is a fee for the application. Ask at the secretariat.
Sources: 4
- Do this now
Your application details are checked against your Aadhaar eKYC details.
If they do not match, you are told and asked to bring the correct details. Then go back to the secretariat with them.
Sources: 4
- Do this now
Wait for the home visit.
Secretariat staff come to your home to check your eligibility and documents, and take your eKYC then if it was not taken before. The Welfare and Education Assistant (WEA) or Ward Welfare and Development Secretary (WWDS) then enters the findings and sends the application on.
Sources: 4
- Do this nowIf: I am married but separated from my husband, or he has deserted me: I am over 50 and we have lived apart for more than a year / I have never married and have no support from my family; I am 50 or older
A single woman’s application is first checked by the Tahsildar, who sends it with remarks to the MPDO or the Municipal Commissioner.
If the Tahsildar office calls you, go.
Not confirmed
The memo does not say whether the Tahsildar will call you, or what further proof may be asked for.
Sources: 4
- Do this now
Wait for the decision.
The MPDO (in a village) or the Municipal Commissioner (in a town) decides whether you are eligible and, if you are, recommends you to the CEO of SERP; they do not sanction the pension themselves. After a further check at state level, SERP sanctions it only with the government’s approval and when budget is available.
Sources: 4
- Do this now
Collect a printed copy of your sanction order from the WEA or WWDS at the secretariat.
If you are found not eligible, they give you an endorsement with the reasons.
Sources: 4
- Do this now
Collect the pension every month.
It starts only from the month SERP sanctions it; there are no arrears from the month you applied. It is paid on the 1st of the month, and you confirm with your fingerprint or iris when you collect it. People who are bedridden are paid at home.
Not confirmed
The sanction and arrears rule is from the 2026 memo and ₹4,000 from the 2024 order. Payment on the 1st, the fingerprint or iris check and home delivery come from the SERP website, whose page also gives an old pension amount; ask at the secretariat who pays, where and when now.
Sources: 4, 1, 5
If something goes wrong
If it is rejectedIf you are found not eligible, get the endorsement with the reasons from the WEA or WWDS at the secretariat.
If you are found not eligible, get the endorsement with the reasons from the WEA or WWDS at the secretariat. If you think it is wrong, file a grievance on PGRS: at the secretariat, at the Collectorate on Monday, on the PGRS website or in its app. You get the grievance number by SMS. If you are not satisfied with the answer you can re-open it twice (first to a district officer, then to the head of the department). The 2019 order makes the CEO of SERP responsible for correcting errors made by MPDOs and Municipal Commissioners.
Public Grievance Redressal System (PGRS) · Open the official page
Sources: 4, 9, 2
If it is lateEven if you are eligible the pension may not start at once: new pensions are sanctioned in phases, only with the government’s approval and when budget is available.
Even if you are eligible the pension may not start at once: new pensions are sanctioned in phases, only with the government’s approval and when budget is available. For the applications taken in September 2026, the memo’s timetable ended on 26 September 2026 with the budget proposal and government approval; it gives no date for the sanction or the first payment. Ask the WEA or WWDS at the secretariat where your application is. If it is taking very long, file a grievance on PGRS. You need your Aadhaar number to file a grievance. The time for an answer depends on the subject: from 24 hours to at most 90 days.
Public Grievance Redressal System (PGRS) · Open the official page
Sources: 4, 9
AlsoIf your pension stops, first ask at the secretariat.
If your pension stops, first ask at the secretariat. Then you can call SERP’s social security pensions office in Vijayawada (0866-2410017) or file a grievance on PGRS.
SERP, Social Security Pensions, Vijayawada · Open the official page
Sources: 6, 9
AlsoFor a single woman the 2022 order says the pension is stopped if she marries again (the order's word is "remarries"), gets employment or becomes economically stable; the paying officers check this every month.
For a single woman the 2022 order says the pension is stopped if she marries again (the order's word is "remarries"), gets employment or becomes economically stable; the paying officers check this every month. If your pension stops, first ask at the secretariat. Then you can call SERP’s social security pensions office in Vijayawada (0866-2410017) or file a grievance on PGRS.
SERP, Social Security Pensions, Vijayawada · Open the official page
Sources: 3, 6, 9
Official websites for this work
- Social Security Pensions (Andhra Pradesh) Old age, widow and disability pensions
- PGRS (Andhra Pradesh) Complain to the state government
Related guides
The 10 official pages and papers this guide is written from
- G.O.Ms.No.43, PR&RD (RD.I) Dept., 13-06-2024: Social Security Pensions, enhancement of the pension amounts and restoring the name of the scheme as 'NTR Bharosa Pension Scheme'Panchayat Raj and Rural Development (RD.I) Department, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Para 2(a) (Widow and Single Women among the pensions raised from Rs.3,000 to Rs.4,000 a month), 2(e) and 2(g); para 3, table rows 2 (Widow) and 6 (Single Women) (13-06-2024) · read on 01-11-2026
- G.O.Ms.No.174, PR&RD (RD.I) Dept., 13-12-2019: YSR Pension Kanuka, revised guidelines for sanction of pensions (the eligibility rules the 2026 memo applies to the NTR Bharosa Pension Scheme)Panchayat Raj and Rural Development (RD.I) Department, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Para 4: 1 (common eligibility, a-i, one pension in a family and its exceptions), 2(b) (Widow: 18 years and above; husband's death certificate), 4 (Spouse Pension: wife of a deceased Old Age, Weaver, Fishermen, Toddy Tapper or Disabled pensioner, at the widow rate), 9 (the CEO of SERP rectifies errors of MPDOs and Municipal Commissioners), 10 (age and the family unit from Aadhaar, ration card data and the Praja Sadhikara Survey) (13-12-2019) · read on 01-11-2026
- G.O.Ms.No.22, PR&RD (RD.I) Dept., 16-06-2022: YSR Pension Kanuka, revised guidelines for sanction of pension to Single / Deserted Women (amending G.O.Ms.No.174)Panchayat Raj and Rural Development (RD.I) Department, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Para 1 (i)-(iv) and the single women criteria (married, separated or deserted: above 50 at sanction, apart more than 1 year, copy of a divorce decree from a court or Adalat; unmarried: 50 and above in rural and urban areas, no family support, unmarried certificate from the Tahsildar valid one year; the pension discontinued on remarriage, employment or economic stability, checked every month by the Pensions Disbursement officers); para 2 (amendment of G.O.Ms.No.174, para 4, 2(j)); a scanned order, read by OCR and checked against the page image (16-06-2022) · read on 01-11-2026
- Memo No. 3407491/RD.I/A1/2026, 06-09-2026: Process for New Pension Applications under NTR Bharosa Pension Scheme through Swarna Grama and Swarna Wardu, guidelinesPanchayat Raj and Rural Development (RD.I) Department, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Paras 4, 5 and 7; Annexure-I items 1, 2(a)-(c), 3, 4(a)-(c) (widow applications to the MPDO/Municipal Commissioner, single women to the Tahsildar), 5(b), 6(a)-(d) (table row 1: Old Age, Widow, Single Women and Disabled to the CEO, SERP), 8, 9, 10 and the time lines table; Annexure-II (documents for all; rows 2 Widow Pensions and 3 Single Women) (06-09-2026) · read on 01-11-2026
- NTR Bharosa Pension Scheme website: About (eligibility, sanction, distribution)Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP), Government of Andhra Pradesh, Tabs 'Eligibility Criteria and Pension Amount' (common criteria; Widow Pension; Single Women Pension; Pension Amount, which still says Rs.2,250), 'Sanctioning Procedure for New Pensions' (exclusion factors), 'Distribution of Pensions', 'Roles and Responsibilities' (Panchayat Secretary / Bill Collector) · read on 01-11-2026
- NTR Bharosa Pension Scheme website: Contact UsSociety for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP), Government of Andhra Pradesh, Contact Us: Director, Social Security Pensions, SERP, Vijayawada; phone 0866 2410017 · read on 01-11-2026
- District Rural Development Agency: NTR Bharosa Pension Scheme (eligibility)District Administration, Anakapalli District, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Schemes/Activities: NTR Bharosa Pension Scheme; Eligibility (a) common criteria, (d) Widow Pension (husband’s death certificate compulsory; no age limit) · read on 01-11-2026
- SGSW Department (Swarna Gramam and Swarna Wardu)District Administration, Alluri Sitharama Raju District, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Introduction; 'Functionaries positioned at Swarna Gramam (Secretariats)' · read on 01-11-2026
- Public Grievance Redressal System (PGRS): FAQ’sReal Time Governance Society (RTGS), Government of Andhra Pradesh, Who can register a grievance and how; how to check the status; re-opening a grievance twice (district level, then HoD); the time limit for redress (24 hours to 90 days); what PGRS does not take · read on 01-11-2026
- Notification S.O. 1050(E), 4 March 2021: rights of an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) Cardholder, under section 7B(1) of the Citizenship Act, 1955Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India (Gazette of India, Extraordinary), Para (5) and Explanation (1) (04-03-2021) · read on 01-11-2026