How & Why To Get A Senior Citizen Identity Card Today

In India, it’s really important that older people get extra care and help. The government does a lot to make sure they’re looked after well. But sometimes, people don’t know about all the good things that are available for them. One such thing is the senior citizen identity card. Not many know about it, but it’s very useful.

In this article, we’re going to talk about who can get this card, what good things come with it, and how you can apply for it. You can do this in two ways: online (which means using a computer or a phone to do it over the internet) and offline (which means doing it in person or by paper forms).

We’re going to explain everything step by step, so it’s easy to understand. By the end of this article, you’ll know all you need about this special identity card for older people.

Also, if you’re looking for more ways to help and care for older people, check out Emoha Elder Care services. We offer help and support that can be really useful.

Eligibility Criteria For Senior Citizen Identity Card  

The terms of its criteria are pretty straightforward, you need to be over the age of 60 and should have at least one valid government proof of residence. Citizens satisfying the criterion above are deemed eligible for a senior citizen identity card. 

Benefits of Senior Citizen Identity Card  

The several benefits of having this card are –   

Travel Benefits of Senior Citizen Identity Card 

• The IRCTC provides senior citizens with a 40-50% fare concession on their train tickets, they can also enjoy separate counters and queues to book their tickets and get other information. However, this offer does not apply to Tatkal bookings. 
• Designated senior citizen counters are available at the railway station that you can use for booking your ticket easily. Lower berths are preferred to be given out to senior citizens while booking online. 
• A few select airlines have a senior citizen concession clause, allowing seniors over 60, with valid ID proof, to enjoy up to 50% concession on their flight tickets. Airlines like Air India, GoAir, Indigo, and Jet Airways provide these offers for their senior customers. 

Finance Benefits of Senior Citizen Identity Card 

• Tax constitutions are kinder towards seniors over the age of 60 and those above 80 (considered super senior citizens), this is to lift some financial burdens off them. 
• If the senior citizen is making anywhere from 0 to 3 Lakh INR per annum, they are exempt from tax.  
• Residents earning anywhere between 3 Lakh INR – 6 Lakh INR per annum are to pay a 10% tax.  
• The 6 Lakh INR – 10 Lakh INR per annum finance slab is to pay a 20% tax.  
• While citizens earning over 10 lakhs per annum are to pay a 30% tax.  
• Section 80D of the 1961 Income tax act allows a tax exemption of 50,000 INR if they are suffering from a critical illness.   
• State professional taxes states that senior citizens above the age of 65 can get a 100% exemption.  
• To put it all in one sentence, senior citizens get to pay fewer taxes as compared to the rest of the demographic of the country.   
• Fixed deposits of senior citizens get a 0.5% interest rate advantage from their banks over the rest.  
• A 9% ROI is offered for the Investment schemes provided by the post office.   
• Priority services and other services like higher ROIs on investments, door-to-door service and document verification are provided by certain banks. 
• Old age homes also provide their services at a cut cost.  

Health Benefits of Senior Citizen Identity Card 

• Government hospitals provide free treatment to senior citizens, and private hospital treatments offer a discount to citizens above 60. 
• They get a separate lane and counter for their assistance.  
• Seniors over 60 are provided with a Varishta Mediclaim Policy by the National Insurance, covering their hospitalisation and domiciliary hospitalisation expenses up to 2 Lakh INR based on how critical their condition is.  
• In 2017 the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) started a Varishta Pension Bima provided to all senior citizens, with a guaranteed pension offered at an ROI of 8% for a decade. You are allowed to invest up to 7,50,000 INR and receive said pension on a monthly, half-yearly, or yearly basis.   

Telephone Benefits of Senior Citizen Identity Card 

• Companies like BSNL and MTNL offer their senior customers concessions over their bills and charges. 
• BSNL and MTNL offer concessions on telephone bills for their customers over the age of 65, priority telephone registrations are available whose charges can be waived off later on.  
• A 25% concession on monthly charges is offered by MTNL to their senior customers. 

Court Hearing Benefits of Senior Citizen Identity Card 

• The court ensures that senior citizens over the age of 60 get a preference on their dates to make this a rather pleasant process and also get faster responses on their hearings.  

Passport Application Benefits of Senior Citizen Identity Card  

• As everyone knows, the passport process can be quite cumbersome and everyone should go through the police verification before getting their passport. This, however, doesn’t apply to senior citizens and their passports can be issued before the police investigation.  
• This case is for the citizens going to visit their kids. To do so, the candidate has to attach a copy of their child/children’s passport (above the age of 18) studying abroad, this has to be attached to the institute’s application form. The child’s passport has to have their parent’s name for cross verification purposes.  

Documents Required For Senior Citizen ID Card 

• Candidates looking to avail of a senior citizen card must provide proof of residence accepted and recognized by the state officials.  
• They also must submit a government ID stating their correct date of birth as their proof of age. This is cross verified if they are indeed above the age of 60 to qualify for the card. 

Application Procedure For Senior Citizen Identity Card 

The offline process for obtaining this card varies by state, but the online method is straightforward. Simply visit the state’s website, submit your application with two passport-sized photos, address proof, and an ID showing your birth date. After registration, wait for approval and document verification, then your card will be mailed to you.

For the offline process, include an extra photo, a doctor’s certificate, and a 50 INR payment.

For any inquiries or to track your application, contact the officials or check online.

Procedures of application in different Indian states  

1. Delhi Senior Citizen ID Card 

The senior citizen card application requires you to go to the Delhi Police senior citizen portal where you need to click on “Register as a senior citizen”, which then takes you to a page where you need to enter your contact details and date of birth, enter the OTP sent to your device which allows you to register for your application.     

You need to attach 2 copies of your photographs along with your Aadhar card, PAN card, and birth and residence proof.  

2. Haryana Senior Citizen ID Card 

When it comes to Haryana, one needs to find the Social Justice and Empowerment office to apply for a senior citizen card. The applicant must download the application form for old age Samman allowance and submit this application along with the mentioned documents. This process takes around 7 working days to get your senior citizen card.  

3. Uttar Pradesh Senior Citizen ID Card 

Here, you need to visit the general tehsildar’s office or their website online and select your respective district this will allow you to contact your local office where you can submit your application along with all the required documents. After the successful completion of the process, the certificate will be delivered to you by post. 

4. Maharashtra Senior Citizen ID Card 

To apply for a senior citizen card in Maharashtra you must go to your tehsildar’s office, you must take the application along with all the mentioned documents. The application here gets processed internally, after the successful process you get issued your card within 10-15 days.  

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