Samarth-Respite Care Scheme

Samarth-Respite Care Scheme is running under the National Trust, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India. Enrolment at Samarth Centres is open for eligible persons with disabilities (PwD) and their families as of August 2026, and the official website has moved to nationaltrust.nic.in.

This scheme gives a safe respite home to orphans, abandoned persons with disabilities, families in crisis, and PwDs from Below Poverty Line (BPL) and Low Income Group (LIG) families, including destitutes. It covers people with at least one of the four disabilities listed under the National Trust Act, 1999. While the PwD gets professional care at the centre, family members get time to handle their other responsibilities.

Samarth-Respite Care Scheme - Introduction

The National Trust set up Samarth Centres for providing respite and residential care for the specified categories of PwDs. Each centre runs a group home facility for all age groups with quality care, acceptable living standards and basic medical care from professional doctors. A centre takes a batch of 30 PwDs, and the maximum limit is 39 PwDs, which is 30% extra of the batch size.

Every Samarth Centre keeps a fixed team of staff. The team includes at least two special educators (plus vocational trainers), one physiotherapist or occupational therapist, three caregivers, two ayas and one cook. The centre also has a medical or assessment room, an activity or vocational room, a recreation room, hygienic lodging, a kitchen and office supplies.

Benefits

The scheme offers complete support through residential care and related services at the Samarth Centre:

• Group Home: Registered Organisations (RO) run group home facilities for all age groups with quality care, acceptable living standards and basic medical attention from professional doctors.
• Vocational Activities: Every Samarth Centre gives age-specific vocational and pre-vocational training along with schooling support based on the needs of each PwD.
• Staffing: Each centre keeps a dedicated team with at least two special educators, one physiotherapist or occupational therapist, three caregivers, two ayas and a cook.
• Infrastructure: Centres have therapeutic aids, appliances and hygienic lodging for comfort.
• Assessment and Evaluation: Experts check each PwD regularly to track progress and spot health issues early.
• Linkage with Gharaunda Scheme: A PwD above 18 years who has spent more than 5 years at a Samarth Centre shifts to the Gharaunda scheme.

Eligibility

The applicant should have one of the four disabilities covered under the National Trust Act, 1999: Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation, or Multiple Disabilities. The scheme is meant for orphans, abandoned persons, families in crisis, and PwDs from BPL and LIG families, including destitutes.

Exclusions

A PwD cannot join the Samarth-Respite Care Scheme while already enrolled under Disha, Vikaas or Gharaunda schemes. Also, a Registered Organisation must not be blacklisted by the National Trust or any other government body at the time of applying.

Application Process

The application process is offline for individual PwDs and online for Registered Organisations. ROs can apply online on the new National Trust website nationaltrust.nic.in with an application fee of ₹1,000.

Steps to enrol a PwD at a Samarth Centre:

STEP 1 - Visit the nearest Samarth Centre with the parent or guardian and the required documents.

STEP 2 - The centre conducts an Individual PwD Assessment Test with the help of a therapist or counsellor to understand the specific needs of the PwD.

STEP 3 - If the PwD is an orphan, abandoned or from a family in crisis, the RO gets the status certified by the district officials authorised by the state government. In such cases the PwD is automatically treated as BPL and enrolled in the Niramaya scheme along with Samarth.

STEP 4 - For other applicants, the centre checks whether the PwD is eligible for LIG or BPL funding support.

STEP 5 - The parent or guardian fills the enrolment form and submits original documents with photocopies.

STEP 6 - After verification, the PwD is enrolled and the family gets an Enrollment ID card, a receipt and a starter kit.

STEP 7 - If the PwD is not yet registered under the Niramaya health insurance scheme, the Samarth representative helps with the registration.

Note: The intended duration of stay must be mentioned in the application form.

Documents

Keep these documents ready when going to the Samarth Centre:

• Enrolment form
• Birth certificate or valid date of birth proof
• Disability certificate
• BPL certificate or income certificate issued by a competent state authority
• ID proof of the parent or guardian
• Guardianship declaration (if the PwD is under 18) or a valid Legal Guardian (LG) certificate (if the PwD is above 18)

Funding for Registered Organisations

The National Trust gives funding to Samarth Centres under three heads. The setup cost is ₹2,90,000, paid one time. Sustenance cost of ₹5,000 per PwD per month is paid for the first 3 months. The monthly recurring cost is ₹5,000 per PwD per month. For work centres, the setup cost ranges from ₹25,000 to ₹1,00,000. ROs need to fill the Samarth application form online on the National Trust portal and pay the application fee of ₹1,000.

For funding, the centre must keep a 1:1 ratio of LIG (including BPL) and above LIG PwDs. LIG means the BPL limit set by the state plus an additional 50% of that limit. The National Trust funds 100% of BPL PwDs irrespective of the ratio.

References

Useful Links:

• Official Guidelines
• RO Registration Portal
• Official Website
• Contact and Helpline

FAQ's

Which department launched Samarth-Respite Care Scheme?

The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment launched this scheme, and the National Trust runs it.

What are the primary benefits of this scheme?

It gives residential respite, therapeutic support and vocational training for PwDs from BPL and LIG families, as well as orphans and those in crisis.

Where can a PwD get these facilities?

Through any authorised Samarth Centre or Registered Organisation. The list of centres and guidelines are on the official website nationaltrust.nic.in.

What is the capacity of a Samarth Centre?

A standard batch size is 30 PwDs, with a maximum capacity of 39 individuals.

How does this help family members?

It gives very important support to family members by allowing them time to manage other responsibilities while their loved ones receive professional care.

How can an organisation register for the scheme?

Registered Organisations can apply online on the National Trust website nationaltrust.nic.in with an application fee of ₹1,000.

What is the helpline number of the National Trust?

The National Trust helpline is 011-65216000. The office is at 6th Floor, NISD Building, Plot No. G-2, Sector-10, Dwarka, New Delhi-110075.