Allowances for the Widow, Deserted and Destitute Women (Widow Allowance)
The Government of Bangladesh's Widow, Deserted and Destitute Women Allowance is a nationwide, explicitly unconditional cash transfer that pays poor widowed, divorced/deserted, or otherwise destitute women a small monthly stipend for as long as they remain eligible, with no work, training, or spending conditions attached. Launched in FY1998 with about 0.4 million recipients receiving BDT 100/month, it has grown to roughly 2.9-3 million women receiving BDT 700/month (BDT 1,000/month for those over 90) as of FY2025-26/FY2026-27. It is funded entirely by the Government of Bangladesh through the Department of Social Services (with prior technical/financial support from a World Bank-financed Cash Transfer Modernization Project) and is administered locally by Union and Upazila social welfare committees, with funds disbursed through state-owned banks. The World Bank explicitly labels it "an unconditional cash transfer allowance program," distinguishing it from Bangladesh's conditional stipend and public-works safety nets.
Unconditional Cash Transfer, Widows, Deserted/Destitute Women, National Safety Net, Categorical Targeting, Bangladesh, Bank-Disbursed Allowance
Headquarters
- Organization Name
- Department of Social Services, Ministry of Social Welfare, Government of Bangladesh
- City
- Dhaka
- State / Province
- Dhaka Division
- Country
- Bangladesh
Contact
- Website
- https://dss.gov.bd/
- Phone
- +880 2 55007024
- Social media links
Status & Funding
- Organization status
- Active
- Program status
- Active
- Application status
- Rolling
- Number of recipients
- 2,900,000
- Funding type
- Government
Benefits
- Currency Type
- Fiat
- Payment frequency
- Monthly
- Ongoing / unconditional
- Yes
- Distribution Type
- Bank account deposit (passbook-linked), cash withdrawal at designated state-owned bank branches (Sonali, Janata, Agrani, Bangladesh Krishi Unnayan, Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Banks)
- Benefit details
The monthly allowance rate has risen from BDT 100 (FY1998) to BDT 500 (FY2019), BDT 550, BDT 650 (FY2025-26), and BDT 700 (FY2026-27 budget), with beneficiaries over age 90 receiving BDT 1,000/month. Although quoted as a monthly rate, funds are actually released and collected in a lump sum once per quarter at the local bank branch, requiring the beneficiary (or an authorized nominee if she is too sick, disabled, or restricted by custom) to appear in person with a government-issued passbook. A special BDT 10 minimum-balance bank account is opened for each beneficiary as part of a financial-inclusion initiative.
Eligibility
Overview
- Eligibility details
Targets poor Bangladeshi women who are widowed, divorced/deserted by their husband, or otherwise destitute, prioritizing the oldest applicants, those with no family support or young children, those unable to work due to illness or age, and the landless/homeless. Applicants must hold a National ID or birth registration certificate, be residents of the local area where they apply, and be selected by community-level vetting committees; only one benefit per household is allowed, and receipt of a government pension or another government/NGO safety-net benefit disqualifies an applicant. Studies note leakage/targeting issues, with an estimated 20-36% of beneficiaries found non-compliant with formal criteria in diagnostic reviews.
Demographics
- Minimum age
- 18
- Sex
- Female
- Gender
- Female
Financial
- Income limit (annual household)
- $12,000
- Currently receiving government benefits
- Disqualifying
Citizenship
- Citizenship / immigration status
- Citizen
Geography
- Countries covered
- Bangladesh
- Residency of Target Geography
- Yes
Application Process
- How to apply
Eligible women submit an application on a designated form to the Upazila Social Service Officer (rural) or District Social Service Officer (urban). Outreach is limited in practice (mostly mosque announcements and word of mouth) rather than an open, well-publicized campaign, so most applicants learn of the program through Ward Members, villagers, or relatives.
- Selection process
A four-step local vetting process: (1) USSOs/DSSOs compile ward-wise lists of applicants; (2) the Union Committee (rural) or Municipal/City Committee (urban) reviews and forwards a primary list of eligible beneficiaries; (3) the Upazila Committee (rural) or District Committee (urban) finalizes the beneficiary list and a waitlist and seeks the local Member of Parliament's approval; (4) approved beneficiaries are issued a passbook and a bank account within seven days. Replacement of beneficiaries (due to death, remarriage, improved status, migration, or duplicate benefits) draws from the waitlist, subject to Cabinet Committee on Safety Nets approval in the case of death.
