Perumbakkam residents denied social security benefits, reveals study

During the assessment, IRCDUC and HLRN identified 143 vulnerable persons, including 126 women. Of the vulnerable persons who were identified, 71 are single women, who do not have access to a monthly pension scheme.

“Thirty-six elderly women and twelve elderly men also do not have monthly pension access. Also, nine persons with disability are yet to receive their pension from the government. Many of the vulnerable persons have not accessed their social security benefits for over three years. This has forced them to extreme situations,” the study revealed.

The assessment report says that many of the vulnerable persons could not receive their pensions, as their documents are yet to be transferred from the Chennai Collectorate to the Kancheepuram Collectorate. As Perumbakkam is included under newly created Chengalpattu district, the residents do not know which Collectorate holds their documents.

“Inadequate bus connectivity, and money and time taken to travel to Chennai have been deterring the vulnerable persons to follow up the scheme. They were dependent on these pensions before being shifted to Perumbakkam,” the report said.

The report also recommended that the government should conduct a survey to identify vulnerable people in the tenements and take measures to provide benefits.