Widows, deserted women, destitute women and unmarried women in Chennai can register with the Tamil Nadu Widows and Destitute Women Welfare Board, a state body formed on 2 September 2022 to help them get welfare benefits. Registration is free, and districts across the state have been holding enrolment camps through 2026. The board’s official site says it is chaired by the Social Welfare minister and works on education, health, jobs, self-help groups and vocational training.
Board membership is separate from the monthly pension. A destitute widow, a deserted wife or an unmarried woman aged 50 or more who meets the conditions can get ₹1,200 a month from the Revenue Department. This guide covers both, since many women need to apply for each.
What the welfare board is for
The board is registered under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act, 1975, with 10 official and 14 non-official members. The Social Welfare department’s 2024-25 policy note says it was set up to tackle the problems of widows, deserted women, destitute women and unmarried women and improve their livelihoods. The note lists skill training, self-employment help and money for children’s education among the schemes it proposed to run, and provided ₹106.43 lakh for the board in 2024-25.
Being on the board’s register is how a woman gets counted and contacted when these schemes open. District notices, such as Coimbatore’s for a 15 September 2026 camp, describe membership as a gateway to government welfare benefits.
Who can register
District notices list four groups:
- widows;
- women deserted by their husbands;
- destitute women;
- unmarried women. Tiruvallur’s August 2026 notice specifies unmarried women over 30.
The board’s site does not publish a single eligibility rule, so ask at the camp or the social welfare office if you are unsure.
Documents to carry
The Coimbatore notice lists what women should bring to a registration camp:
- Aadhaar card and family (ration) card;
- widow certificate or deserted woman certificate;
- income certificate and residence certificate;
- a passport-size photograph;
- a working mobile number.
If you do not have a widow or deserted woman certificate, get one first. Both are Revenue Department e-certificates, listed on the state IT department’s e-Sevai service list with no department fee and a ₹60 service charge.
Registering in Chennai
The Chennai district administration has held its own enrolment camps for the board, including one on 12 June 2025 listed on its press release page. Camps elsewhere have also offered free health check-ups on the same day, so it is worth bringing any medical papers too. Watch the district site and local Corporation zonal offices for the next camp. Between camps, go to the District Social Welfare Office for Chennai district with the documents above and ask to be enrolled.
The pensions: separate, and through the Revenue Department
The monthly pensions come under the Commissionerate of Revenue Administration’s social security schemes, not the board. Its scheme page lists the amounts:
| Pension | Monthly amount | Main conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Destitute Widow Pension | ₹1,200 | Destitute widow, 18 or older |
| Destitute or Deserted Wives Pension | ₹1,200 | 30 or older; legally divorced, deserted for at least 5 years, or legally separated |
| Pension for Poor Unmarried Women | ₹1,200 | Destitute, unmarried, 50 or older |
| Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension | ₹1,200 | Central-state scheme for widows |
For the state schemes, fixed assets must be worth less than ₹1 lakh, a limit waived if the government has given the woman a free house, according to the eligibility page. The pensions were raised to ₹1,200 from August 2023. Apply at an e-Sevai centre, where each pension carries a ₹60 service charge. The taluk’s Special Tahsildar (Social Security Scheme) decides the application after a field check.
Other state schemes for widows
The Social Welfare department runs several schemes aimed at widows and their families, described in the policy note:
- Sathiyavanimuthu Ammaiyar free sewing machines: for groups including widows aged 20 to 40. In 2023-24, 2,412 women benefited at a cost of ₹2.08 crore.
- E.V.R. Maniammaiyar scheme for daughters of poor widows: marriage help since 1982, for families earning up to ₹72,000 a year. Widows already drawing a social security pension do not need to show an income certificate or widow certificate. The bride must be at least 18.
- Dr. Dharmambal Ammaiyar widow remarriage scheme: since 1975, with no income limit. The bride must be at least 20 and the groom no older than 40, and the application is due within six months of the remarriage.
Ask about these at the District Social Welfare Office when you register with the board.
Quick answers
Is registering with the widows welfare board free?
Yes. District notices describe free registration camps, and there is no fee listed.
Does board membership give me a pension?
No. The ₹1,200 widow and deserted wives pensions are applied for separately through the Revenue Department.
Can unmarried women register?
Yes. District notices include unmarried women; Tiruvallur’s specifies those over 30.
Information checked against official sources on 18 October 2026. Fees, dates and rules can change; confirm on the linked official pages before acting.
Sources
- Widows and Destitute Women Welfare Board (Government of Tamil Nadu)
- Policy Note 2024-25, Social Welfare and Women Empowerment Department (Government of Tamil Nadu)
- Membership registration camp, September 2026 (Coimbatore District Administration)
- Special membership camp for the welfare board, 5 August 2026 (Tiruvallur District Administration)
- Press releases including June 2025 welfare board enrolment camp (Chennai District Administration)
- Social security pension schemes (Commissionerate of Revenue Administration)
- Eligibility for social security schemes (Commissionerate of Revenue Administration)
- e-Sevai services and charges (Information Technology and Digital Services Department, Tamil Nadu)
