What this scheme offers
This is Bihar's state-level delivery of the central National Family Benefit Scheme (NFBS), a one-time payment aimed at the immediate financial shock of losing a family's primary earner. When the breadwinner of a BPL family — anyone aged 18 to 60 — dies, whether from natural causes or an accident, the family can claim ₹20,000 as a lump sum, provided the application is made within two years of the death. It's a modest amount against a lifetime of lost income, but designed to arrive fast enough to matter for the funeral and the weeks immediately after.
Who is eligible
- Family living below the poverty line (BPL) in Bihar.
- The deceased breadwinner was aged between 18 and 60 years.
- Application made within 2 years of the breadwinner's death.
- Applicant is the next head of the family or an eligible dependent.
Documents required
- Death certificate of the breadwinner
- BPL certificate / ration card
- Aadhaar card (deceased and applicant)
- Age proof of the deceased
- Bank account details of the applicant
How to apply
- Apply online at serviceonline.bihar.gov.in, or offline at the District Social Welfare Office.
- Submit the death certificate, BPL proof, and your relationship to the deceased.
- The application is verified at the block/district level.
- Once approved, the ₹20,000 is transferred as a single DBT payment to the applicant's bank account.
- Apply as soon as reasonably possible after the death — the two-year window is a hard cutoff, not a suggestion.