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File No. CS-SKL-022 · Central Scheme · Ministry of Labour and Employment / ESIC

Atal Beemit Vyakti Kalyan Yojana (ABVKY)

An unemployment allowance for ESI-insured workers who lose their job involuntarily — up to 50% of average wages for up to 90 days, claimed directly through the ESIC portal.

What this scheme offers

Unemployment insurance barely exists in India's formal sector outside this one scheme — and even here, it's tucked inside ESI rather than run as a separate, widely-known programme, so most ESI contributors don't realise it's something they're already entitled to. ABVKY provides a cash allowance of up to 50% of average wages for up to 90 days to an ESI-insured worker who loses their job involuntarily (retrenchment, closure, or similar — not resignation or dismissal for misconduct), claimed directly through the ESIC online portal rather than through an employer. It's been extended repeatedly since its 2018 launch, most recently by another year to 30 June 2027, and genuinely functions as the closest thing India's formal labour market has to a jobless benefit.

Who is eligible

  • ESI-insured worker in insurable employment for at least 12 months immediately before becoming unemployed, with at least 78 days of contribution in the relevant contribution period.
  • Unemployment must be involuntary — retrenchment or closure, for example. It is not payable where it results from misconduct, a lock-out, superannuation, or conviction for making false statements under the ESI Act.
  • The benefit can be claimed only once in a lifetime; your contribution record is verified through ESIC's own records.

Documents required

  • ESI Insurance Number
  • Aadhaar card
  • Bank account details
  • Relieving/termination letter or equivalent proof of involuntary job loss

How to apply

  1. File your claim online through the ESIC ABVKY portal (esic.gov.in/abvky) using your Insurance Number.
  2. Upload your relieving letter or termination documentation establishing that the job loss was involuntary.
  3. ESIC verifies your contribution history and the nature of job separation against its records before approving the claim.
  4. Once approved, the allowance (up to 50% of average wages, for up to 90 days) is credited directly to your registered bank account.
  5. Submit your claim promptly after job loss, as there are time limits for filing under the scheme's rules.

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