This is the short story of Meera 55 years old to whom we have just granted a monthly aid of 1.500rs.
Her husband Radhakrishnan, 65 – but only 56 on the documents due to a bureaucratic error which makes him ineligible for old age pension – is deaf and visually impaired but has no disability benefit because no one has ever helped him get it.
The couple have two daughters, both married to poor families and unable to help them (in any case in our Country sons-in-law rarely take care of in-laws). A small local NGO helps them with food and medicine but they live on rent: 2,000rs a month which they somehow manage to scrape together each month with extreme difficulty.
Abbiamo deciso quindi di offrire loro il nostro supporto:
1) we will help Radhakrishnan to change his ID to the correct date of birth and help him get his pension;
2) we will take him for a visit to ascertain his disability and if the certificate will be obtained we will request the subsidy to which he is entitled.
3) we immediately made available a temporary support of 1500 rupees a month to largely solve the rent problem: when a pension and/or subsidy will be granted, they will manage on their own and we will be able to suspend our help.