Lakshmir Bhandar Scheme 2026

What You'll Learn

• The exact Lakshmir Bhandar monthly amount for 2026 for every beneficiary category
• How to check your Lakshmir Bhandar status and payment online through official portals
• Documents needed and the correct application process for 2026
• How the transition to the ₹3,000 Annapurna Yojana works and what it means for you

The Lakshmir Bhandar Scheme 2026 is West Bengal's flagship direct benefit transfer programme for women, launched in August 2021 by the government led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. What began as a monthly payment of ₹1,000 for general-category women and ₹1,200 for SC/ST women has grown into a programme covering 2.21 crore women across the state. In February 2026 the monthly amount was raised by ₹500, taking it to ₹1,500 for general-category and ₹1,700 for SC/ST beneficiaries, and on June 1, 2026 the successor Annapurna Yojana began paying ₹3,000 per month to eligible women.

This complete guide covers the 2026 amounts, eligibility rules, required documents, the official status check process, and every verified update on the move from Lakshmir Bhandar to Annapurna Yojana. All information is sourced from official West Bengal government portals and recent government announcements, so you can verify your entitlement and track your payment without relying on unofficial websites.

What Was the Lakshmir Bhandar Scheme?

Lakshmir Bhandar (লক্ষ্মী ভাণ্ডার), named after the Hindu goddess Lakshmi who symbolises wealth, is a monthly cash transfer scheme for women residents of West Bengal. Under the Duare Sarkar campaign, the state government deposits money directly into the Aadhaar-linked bank accounts of women aged 25 to 60, without any intermediary. The scheme is registered on the national My Scheme portal, where the official entry lists the current benefit structure and eligibility conditions.

Lakshmir Bhandar is part of a wider social welfare ecosystem in West Bengal that includes Kanyashree, the girl-child protection scheme launched in 2013, and Swasthya Sathi, the universal health assurance scheme introduced in 2016. Together, these programmes cover a woman across her life: Kanyashree during school years, Swasthya Sathi for health needs, and Lakshmir Bhandar for monthly income support from age 25.

Why the Scheme Was Created

The stated objective of Lakshmir Bhandar is financial empowerment of women. By paying the money directly to the woman's own bank account rather than through family heads, the government aimed to give women independent control over cash. Beneficiary numbers grew steadily from the 2021 launch, and by February 2025 the scheme was covering more than 2.2 crore women, making it one of the largest direct benefit transfer schemes for women in India.

How the Money Is Paid

Payments are made every month through direct benefit transfer into Aadhaar-linked bank accounts. Beneficiaries do not need to visit an office to collect cash, and the state has repeatedly warned that no agent, website, or private individual is authorised to collect any fee for the scheme. If any person asks for money to process an application or release an instalment, it is a scam.

Coverage Growth Since 2021

The scheme's reach expanded rapidly in its first five years. Reports from February 2025 already credited the scheme with covering more than 2.2 crore women, and the current beneficiary base stands at 2.21 crore. The growth was driven by repeated enrolment drives under Duare Sarkar, which took the scheme to every district of West Bengal, including remote blocks of North and South 24 Parganas, Cooch Behar, and Purulia.

The national My Scheme portal, which lists the scheme under its West Bengal entries, confirms the 25 to 60 age band and the October 2024 rate structure of ₹1,200 for SC/ST and ₹1,000 for general-category women. January 2026 payments were transferred on schedule, and independent scheme trackers such as the ezeepay government scheme blog confirmed from February 10, 2026 that the increased monthly amount was being credited from that month onward.

For the official scheme entry and eligibility details, see the Lakshmir Bhandar entry on My Scheme.

Lakshmir Bhandar Monthly Amount 2026

The monthly amount has changed four times since the launch. The most important change for 2026 is the ₹500 increase announced in the state budget in February 2026, which took the general-category amount from ₹1,000 to ₹1,500 and the SC/ST amount from ₹1,200 to ₹1,700. The table below shows the full evolution of the benefit amount.

The February 2026 budget increase was confirmed by the state government when the fresh application form fill-up drive began on February 7, 2026, with the last date set as February 26, 2026. The revised amounts were applied to monthly payments from February 2026 onward, and ClearTax's verified scheme summary confirms the ₹1,500 to ₹1,700 monthly range paid through Aadhaar-seeded bank accounts.

Several independent sources confirm the revised amounts. The ezeepay government schemes blog recorded from February 10, 2026 that the new increased monthly amount was being paid from February onward, the beneficiary-focussed site lakshmibhandar.com lists the ₹1,700 per month figure for SC/ST women, and ClearTax's verified scheme summary, updated July 8, 2026, documents the ₹1,500 to ₹1,700 monthly range paid through Aadhaar-seeded accounts. The UMANG platform entry for the scheme was last updated on January 15, 2026, making it a reliable reference point for the current amount structure.

With the launch of the Annapurna Bhandar Scheme 2026, the monthly assistance for eligible women has been fixed at a flat ₹3,000 regardless of category, which is a significant jump over the highest Lakshmir Bhandar amount.

Lakshmir Bhandar Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility for Lakshmir Bhandar has always been simple and category-based. A woman had to be a resident of West Bengal, aged between 25 and 60 years, and not already covered by certain exclusions listed by the state. The official My Scheme entry and the district welfare offices list the following core conditions.

• ✅ Must be a woman resident of West Bengal
• Age must be between 25 and 60 years
• Must hold an Aadhaar card linked to the bank account receiving the payment
• Must not be an income tax payer at the time of verification
• Must not be in receipt of a similar monthly assistance from another source

During the verification drive that ran from February 2026, the government checked beneficiary records against voter rolls, citizenship status, and duplicate lists. On May 27, 2026, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced that roughly 30 lakh names had been found ineligible and were being removed. The state also began an SIT probe on June 1, 2026 into fake beneficiary accounts created under the previous government, and on May 29, 2026 two men were arrested for fraudulently availing the women-only benefit.

The financial press covered the verification fallout in detail. Business Today, in its May 24, 2026 comparison of the two schemes, noted that the eligibility rules were tightened under the new government, and the Times of India reported on May 28, 2026 that nearly 30 lakh women removed from the Lakshmir Bhandar list would miss the Annapurna instalment. The Moneycontrol report of the same week linked the exclusions to voter roll and citizenship records.

If you received the benefit before the verification but have now stopped receiving it, you should check your status on the official portal described below, because removal from the list is possible only through a recorded verification decision, not silently.

Documents Required for Lakshmir Bhandar

Whether you are applying for the first time or updating your details during the 2026 verification, the same set of documents is required at the camp or portal. Keep photocopies ready and carry the originals for verification at the camp.

For women whose bank account is not yet Aadhaar-linked, the government has operated special counters at banks including SBI, Union Bank of India, Bank of India, Bandhan Bank, and Punjab National Bank during the payment drives, so that the direct benefit transfer does not fail for seeding issues.

How to Apply for Lakshmir Bhandar in 2026

Application for Lakshmir Bhandar has always been an offline, camp-based process under Duare Sarkar, and the 2026 form fill-up drive followed the same pattern. Forms were distributed from February 7, 2026, and the last date for submission was February 26, 2026. If you missed the drive, the replacement scheme's Annapurna Bhandar application form process is the current route for fresh applicants.

Offline Application Steps

• Collect the application form from your ward office, block development office, or a Duare Sarkar camp
• Fill in personal details, Aadhaar number, and bank account details
• Attach self-attested copies of the documents listed above
• Submit the form at the camp or office and collect an acknowledgement slip

Online Registration and Data Update

For updating family data, the state Finance Department operates the Family Level Data Collection Portal at socialsecurity.wb.gov.in. Existing beneficiaries could log in with Aadhaar or mobile OTP to correct their name, address, or bank details during the verification window. New registrations for the successor scheme are handled through the Social Registry West Bengal portal, which also supports status tracking.

For the successor scheme, the state began distributing Annapurna Yojana application forms from May 27, 2026, as reported by ETV Bharat on May 26, 2026, with the same camp-based model used for Lakshmir Bhandar. The announcement also confirmed that Lakshmir Bhandar itself would continue to operate until the Annapurna rollout is complete, so women would not lose a single instalment during the changeover.

Existing Lakshmir Bhandar beneficiaries did not need to reapply for the new scheme. The state government confirmed that eligible women were migrated automatically to Annapurna Yojana, and the first ₹3,000 payments began on June 3, 2026.

How to Check Lakshmir Bhandar Status and Payment Online

Checking your beneficiary status is the most searched query for this scheme in 2026, and the process is straightforward through official channels only. Never enter your Aadhaar or bank details on third-party websites promising payment releases.

Status Check Through the Social Security Portal

• Visit the official website socialsecurity.wb.gov.in
• Select the Lakshmir Bhandar or Family Level Data Collection option
• Enter your Aadhaar number or registered mobile number
• Enter the OTP received on your mobile
• View your beneficiary status, last credited instalment, and next expected payment

Status Check Through UMANG

The UMANG application also hosts the Lakshmir Bhandar service, last updated on the platform on January 15, 2026. After linking your Aadhaar once, you can check your status from the app on any phone, which is useful for women who do not have easy computer access. For the new scheme, see our separate guide on the Annapurna Bhandar status check online 2026.

Payment Schedule

Payments are made monthly, and the district portal of South 24 Parganas, updated August 1, 2026, continues to list the current payment status for the region. January 2026 payments were transferred on schedule as reported in early January, and the same monthly rhythm has continued through the transition. For August 2026, news reports dated August 1, 2026 from Livemint and GoodReturns indicate the ₹3,000 instalment is expected to be credited in the first week of August, so beneficiaries should check their accounts after that window.

Lakshmir Bhandar to Annapurna Yojana: The 2026 Transition

The single biggest change of 2026 is the replacement of Lakshmir Bhandar by the Annapurna Yojana. Following the change of government in West Bengal in May 2026, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari's administration announced the new scheme with a flat monthly payment of ₹3,000, effective from June 1, 2026. The new government's verification drive had already found roughly 30 lakh ineligible names, which the Chief Minister linked on May 28, 2026 to voter roll and citizenship discrepancies, and an SIT was ordered on June 1, 2026 to investigate fake beneficiary accounts and alleged signature forgery.

According to the official announcement, the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme continues to function until the Annapurna rollout is complete, so no eligible beneficiary is left uncovered during the switch. The migration itself is automatic for verified women, and our Lakshmi Bhandar to Annapurna Bhandar migration guide explains exactly how the data moved between the two systems.

What If Your Application Was Rejected

On August 1, 2026, financial media reported that women whose Annapurna applications were rejected have a formal appeal route, and the government has urged them not to approach intermediaries. Rejections in the first round were largely tied to the verification findings, so an appeal with corrected documents is the official path to reinstatement.

Financial media coverage on August 1, 2026 explained the practical side of the transition for ordinary beneficiaries. GoodReturns reported that the August instalment, the third paid under the Annapurna name, was expected in the first week of August, while Livemint's report on the same date explained how beneficiaries could track the credit through the state portal rather than visiting offices. Both reports reminded readers that the payment is made only through direct benefit transfer, and that any website or person promising faster release of the amount is fraudulent.

If your name was removed during verification, keep your Aadhaar and bank records updated, and file the appeal through the official channel with the correct documents. The government's own guidance, published across the district and state portals on August 1, 2026, is the only authoritative source for rejection queries.

Lakshmir Bhandar Latest Updates (August 2026)

Here is the verified timeline of every major development in 2026, in order.

• February 7, 2026: Form fill-up drive begins; monthly amount increased by ₹500
• February 26, 2026: Last date for form submission
• May 27, 2026: Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announces 30 lakh ineligible names found in verification
• May 28, 2026: Verification findings linked to voter roll and citizenship records
• May 29, 2026: Two men arrested for availing the women-only benefit fraudulently
• June 1, 2026: Annapurna Yojana launched with ₹3,000 monthly payment; SIT ordered into fake accounts
• June 3, 2026: First ₹3,000 payments credited to migrated beneficiaries
• August 1, 2026: August instalment expected in the first week; appeal process announced for rejected applicants

Before the transition, reports in April 2026 had already flagged the wider context of the benefit increase, with the state raising allowances and expanding coverage across categories. The Business Today comparison published on May 24, 2026 summarised exactly which features changed between the old and new schemes, and the ETV Bharat report of May 26, 2026 confirmed the continuation of Lakshmir Bhandar until rollout completion. These reports together make the transition timeline documented above fully verifiable.

Scam warnings remain essential. Fraudsters have built fake websites that copy the official portals and ask for money or Aadhaar data, and fake direct benefit transfer links circulate on messaging apps. Read our warnings on the

The scheme's impact also extends beyond Bengal. The pattern of named monthly assistance for women has been replicated across states, with Delhi announcing its own ₹2,500 monthly Lakshmi Yojana in August 2026, showing how central this form of women's income support has become in Indian welfare policy.

Conclusion

The Lakshmir Bhandar Scheme 2026 completes a remarkable five-year journey from a ₹1,000 monthly transfer to a ₹3,000 guaranteed payment under its successor, the Annapurna Yojana. For 2.21 crore women, the transition means a higher monthly credit, but it also means strict verification, so every beneficiary should confirm their status on the official portal rather than assuming they are on the list.

Use this guide to check your payment through socialsecurity.wb.gov.in or UMANG, keep your Aadhaar and bank seeding updated, and treat any request for money or personal data from unofficial sources as fraud. The schemes change, but the rule remains the same: only the official West Bengal government portals decide who is paid, how much, and when.