Lakshmir Bhandar (West Bengal)
লক্ষ্মীর ভাণ্ডার
Quick answer
West Bengal pays ₹1,200 a month to women from Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe households and ₹1,000 a month to women of other categories, aged 25 to 60, whose household is enrolled in Swasthya Sathi. The money is credited by Direct Benefit Transfer to a single bank account in the woman's own name.
Researched by Mirza Seraj BaigFacts last checked against official sources on 7 September 2026- What you get
- ₹1,200 per month for a woman from a Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe household, and ₹1,000 per month for a woman of any other category. It is credited every month by Direct Benefit Transfer to an Aadhaar-linked bank account held solely by the eligible adult female member of the household.
- Who it is for
- Women resident in West Bengal aged 25 to 60 whose household is enrolled under Swasthya Sathi, and who do not draw a regular salary or pension from government service.
- Implemented by
- Social Welfare Department, Government of West Bengal
- Coverage
- State scheme — West Bengal
- Official portal
- socialsecurity.wb.gov.in ↗
Who is eligible for Lakshmir Bhandar?
- You must be a resident of West Bengal.
- You must be a woman aged between 25 and 60 years.
- Your household must be enrolled under the Swasthya Sathi scheme.
- You must have your own Aadhaar and a single-holder bank account in your own name.
Who is not eligible for Lakshmir Bhandar?
These exclusions are as important as the eligibility rules — an application that falls into any of the categories below will be rejected or the benefit later recovered.
- You are in permanent government employment, or are a retired government employee, of the Central or State Government, a statutory body, a government undertaking, a panchayat, a municipal corporation or municipality, or any other local body, and receive a regular salary or pension.
- You are a teaching or non-teaching employee of a government-aided educational institution drawing a regular salary or pension.
Which documents are required for Lakshmir Bhandar?
- Swasthya Sathi card of the household
- Aadhaar card
- Caste certificate, if you are claiming the ₹1,200 Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe rate
- Self-attested photocopy of the bank passbook page showing the account holder's name, account number, bank address, IFSC and MICR. It must be a single account in the name of the eligible woman only
- A colour passport-size photograph
- A signed self-declaration that you live in West Bengal, that you draw no salary or pension from a regular government job, and that the information in the form is true
How do you apply for Lakshmir Bhandar?
Collect the form at a Duare Sarkar camp, or at the BDO or municipality office
The form is free. Duare Sarkar camps are held across the state; outside camp season the block development office in rural areas and the municipality office in urban areas issue the same prescribed form.
Submit the signed form with self-attested copies
Hand in the completed, signed form together with self-attested copies of your Swasthya Sathi card, Aadhaar, bank passbook page, caste certificate if you are claiming the SC/ST rate, and your photograph.
Wait for the official enquiry
Applications received at the camp are enquired into by authorised government officials under the Duare Sarkar procedure. Nobody else is permitted to collect or process your form.
Entry, verification and recommendation
The Block Development Officer in a rural area, or the Sub-Divisional Officer in an urban area, enters your application on the portal, verifies it and recommends the eligible list to the District Magistrate. In areas under the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, the Commissioner does this.
Sanction and monthly payment
The District Magistrate is the sanctioning authority — the Commissioner of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation for applicants in KMC areas. Once sanctioned, the assistance is credited to your account every month by Direct Benefit Transfer.
How do you check your Lakshmir Bhandar status?
Open the citizen portal
The department's site at socialsecurity.wb.gov.in now opens the Family Level Data Collection Portal. Choose Citizen / Family Login.
Log in with the mobile number you applied with
Sign in using the mobile number given on your application and the OTP sent to it. The portal shows your application status and lets you file a claim or grievance if something is wrong.
Why do Lakshmir Bhandar applications get rejected, and how do you fix them?
Most rejections and stuck payments come down to a handful of record mismatches. Find yours below.
- The household is not enrolled in Swasthya Sathi
- Swasthya Sathi enrolment is a condition of eligibility, not merely a document. Get the household enrolled and its card issued first, then apply at the next Duare Sarkar camp.
- The bank account is joint, or not in the applicant's own name
- Payment is made only into a single account held by the eligible woman herself. A joint account, or one in a husband's or son's name, will not be accepted — open or nominate a single-holder account linked to Aadhaar and submit that passbook page.
- Age is below 25 or above 60
- The 25 to 60 range is fixed. If your recorded date of birth is wrong, correct it with UIDAI before applying, because verification is done against Aadhaar.
- A regular government salary or pension in the applicant's own name
- Permanent and retired government employees drawing a salary or pension — including teaching and non-teaching staff of government-aided institutions — are excluded. The exclusion is about the applicant herself, so a government job held by another family member is not, by itself, a ground for rejection.
- Claimed the ₹1,200 rate without a caste certificate
- The higher rate applies to women of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe households and needs the caste certificate. Without it the application is processed at the ₹1,000 rate rather than refused.
- Payment stopped after the yearly verification
- The life status of every beneficiary is verified once a year through the Registrar of Birth and Death via the online system. If a record wrongly matches yours, take proof of identity to the block or municipality office and file a grievance on the citizen portal.
Important links
All of these go to the official government portal. Bookmark them — copycat sites with similar names charge for what these do free.
| What you need | Official page |
|---|---|
| Application status and grievances Citizen login with the mobile number you applied with | socialregistry.wb.gov.in ↗ |
| Department website Now opens the Family Level Data Collection Portal | socialsecurity.wb.gov.in ↗ |
| Duare Sarkar Where the forms are collected | ds.wb.gov.in/dws6 ↗ |
| Scheme page on myScheme (Government of India) | www.myscheme.gov.in/schemes/lbs-wb ↗ |
| District Social Welfare Department page | s24pgs.gov.in/lakshmir-bhandar ↗ |
Frequently asked questions
How much does Lakshmir Bhandar pay per month?
₹1,200 a month for a woman from a Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe household, and ₹1,000 a month for a woman of any other category. It is paid every month by Direct Benefit Transfer.
Who is eligible for Lakshmir Bhandar?
A woman living in West Bengal, aged between 25 and 60, whose household is enrolled under Swasthya Sathi, and who has her own Aadhaar and a single bank account in her own name. Women in permanent or retired government employment who draw a regular salary or pension are not eligible.
Is Swasthya Sathi enrolment compulsory for Lakshmir Bhandar?
Yes. The household must be enrolled under Swasthya Sathi — it is one of the eligibility conditions, and the Swasthya Sathi card is one of the documents you submit with the form.
How do I check my Lakshmir Bhandar status?
Open socialsecurity.wb.gov.in, which now leads to the Family Level Data Collection Portal, and use Citizen / Family Login with the mobile number you applied with and the OTP. The same login lets you file a claim or a grievance.
Can I apply for Lakshmir Bhandar online?
No. The application is offline. The free form is given out at Duare Sarkar camps, and at the block development office or municipality office, and is submitted there with self-attested copies of your documents.
Who sanctions a Lakshmir Bhandar application?
The District Magistrate sanctions applications, on the recommendation of the Block Development Officer for rural areas or the Sub-Divisional Officer for urban areas. In areas under the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, the Commissioner of the Corporation is the sanctioning authority.
Is there any fee to apply for Lakshmir Bhandar?
No. The form is available free of cost and the application is free. Anyone asking for money to give you the form, fill it in, or get it approved is not acting for the government.
Can two women in the same household get Lakshmir Bhandar?
The assistance is credited to the account of the eligible adult female member of the household, and eligibility is assessed for each applicant against the age, Swasthya Sathi and government-employment conditions. Check your own case at the Duare Sarkar camp or with the block or municipality office before applying.