Financial Assistance Under The National Fund for Persons with Disabilities

Financial Assistance Under The National Fund for Persons with Disabilities is a central government scheme by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. It provides money help to people with benchmark disabilities for specialised events, skill showing and high support needs, so that they can take part in national and international activities and build a better life.

This scheme is run by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. It fills the gaps in existing government schemes by giving targeted financial support to persons with disabilities (PwDs). The fund was set up under section 86 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016, and the way it can be used is explained in rules 41 and 42 of the RPwD Rules, 2017.

Financial Assistance Under The National Fund for Persons with Disabilities - Introduction

Financial Assistance Under The National Fund for Persons with Disabilities supports people with benchmark disabilities for different livelihood and development activities. The main aim is to help PwDs who do well in areas like sports, fine arts, music, dance, film, theatre or literature at the state level by helping them take part in national and international events.

The scheme also gives funds to organise exhibitions and workshops at regional and national level. This lets talented PwDs show their products such as handicrafts and paintings. It also covers the cost of specialised mobility equipment for those with high support needs, based on the advice of State Assessment Boards.

Key Information

Benefits

Component 1: Organizing Exhibitions and Workshops

This part covers venue arrangements, travel allowance (TA), dearness allowance (DA) for participants, and logistics like screens or lighting. An organization can get up to ₹20 lakh for national level events, ₹15 lakh for regional level and ₹10 lakh for state level events. 50% of the grant is released in advance, and the remaining 50% is paid after the use certificate is submitted.

Component 2: Participation in Events

Support is given to those who do well in sports, fine arts or literature so they can attend events. For national events, the scheme gives second AC train fare and ₹2500 per day for boarding and lodging. For international events, it gives return economy airfare and ₹4000 per day for the event period.

Component 3: High Support Needs

For those who need specialised mobility equipment, the scheme covers the actual cost or up to ₹1 lakh, whichever is lower, based on the recommendations of State Assessment Boards.

Eligibility

For Component 1 (Organizations):

An organization should be registered under the Societies, Companies or Trust Act. It must have at least 3 years of working history with a minimum of 2 years of experience in organising product exhibitions or workshops.

For Component 2 (Individuals):

A person must have a benchmark disability of at least 40%. The annual family income must not be more than ₹3 lakh for national events and ₹6 lakh for international events. The person should also have won medals in sports or been graded as an outstanding artist within the last three years.

For Component 3 (High Support):

A person must have high support needs certified by an Assessment Board and should get recommendations from the state government when it is not able to give such support directly.

Exclusions

If a person has already got financial support under this fund for one national or international event, they are not eligible for more funding for similar events.

Application Process

The scheme is now applied for online through the official National Fund portal. The process is given below.

STEP 1 - Open the official National Fund portal at nationalfund.depwd.gov.in and go to the registration section.

STEP 2 - Choose the option to apply as an individual or as an organization, based on the component you want.

STEP 3 - Fill in the details asked on the form, such as name, date of birth, email id and type of disability for individual applicants.

STEP 4 - Upload the required documents, review the details and submit the application.

For offline help, the forms linked in the official guidelines can be downloaded and sent to: The Joint Secretary and CEO, Room No. 527, 5th Floor, BIII Wing, Pt. Deendayal Antyodaya Bhawan, CGO Complex, Lodhi Road, New Delhi - 110003.

Documents

Depending on the component, the following documents are required.

For Organizations: Registration certificate, experience proof, memorandum of association, PAN/TAN/GST details and invitation letters.

For Individuals: Permanent disability certificate (40% and above), AADHAAR card or enrollment proof, proof of achievement such as medals or certificates, and event invitation letters. For high support needs, include official recommendations from the State Assessment Board.

Definitions

Regional Coverage

These definitions can be checked in the official guidelines.

References

Consult the official Scheme Guidelines for detailed information and proforma annexures. More details are on the DEPwD National Fund page and the official National Fund portal.

FAQ's

Can I receive assistance more than once?

No, the scheme only gives funding once per person for similar national or international events.

Does the scheme cover travel for exhibitions?

Yes, Component 1 covers travel arrangements for PwDs invited to show their products or paintings.

What is the maximum limit for mobility equipment?

A person can get the actual cost of equipment or up to ₹1 lakh, whichever is lower, for high support needs.

Is there an application fee?

No, the whole application process is free. A person does not need to pay anyone.

What defines a benchmark disability?

A disability of 40% or more is treated as a benchmark disability under this scheme.

Are photocopies of documents acceptable?

Yes, photocopies of documents can be submitted along with the application form. Original documents should be kept safe for checking.

Is AADHAAR mandatory?

Yes, giving the AADHAAR number or enrollment slip is required for all individual applicants.