Government schemes for gig and daily wage workers

What this is

An accident insurance scheme you join through a bank or post office. It pays a fixed amount if the covered person dies in an accident, or suffers one of the losses of sight or of the use of a hand or foot that the rules list. It does not pay hospital bills. The yearly premium is taken from your own bank account by auto debit.

Who it is meant for

The official rules say it is for people who hold their own account at a bank or post office that offers the scheme, within the age range the rules set, and who agree to the premium being taken from that account automatically. Your bank and the insurance company decide whether you are enrolled and whether a claim is paid.

Where you actually go

Go to the branch or post office where you already have your savings account and ask for the PMSBY form. Ask for the acknowledgement slip and certificate of insurance and keep it safe. Keep enough balance in the account before the debit date. The scheme portal is jansuraksha.gov.in. Helplines listed there: 1800-180-1111 and 1800-110-001.

What this is

A life insurance scheme you join through a bank or post office. If the covered person dies, a fixed amount is paid to the nominee or the family. The official rules say the cover is for death due to any reason. The yearly premium is taken from your own account by auto debit.

Who it is meant for

The official rules say it is for people who hold their own account, single or joint, at a bank or post office that offers the scheme, within the age range the rules set. Institutional accounts are not eligible. Your bank and the insurance company decide.

Where you actually go

Go to the branch or post office where you already have your account and ask about PMJJBY. Staff give you the form and the auto debit consent form. Keep a copy, and keep enough balance before the debit date. The scheme portal is jansuraksha.gov.in.

What this is

A government health scheme. For families on the government's list, it pays for treatment when the person is admitted to hospital at a hospital that is part of the scheme, and the family does not pay the hospital. It is fully funded by government. You cannot buy it. It covers treatment when you are admitted, not ordinary doctor visits.

Who it is meant for

Families were first identified from the 2011 SECC census, and states have since added more using their own lists. The listed kinds of work in cities include construction workers, security guards, drivers, rickshaw and cart pullers, domestic workers, delivery assistants, shop helpers, tailors, sanitation workers, street vendors, electricians and mechanics. Doing one of these kinds of work does not by itself mean your family is on the list.

Where you actually go

You do not apply and wait for approval. The government says this scheme does not require enrolment. What you do is check whether your family is already on the list, and if it is, get the Ayushman card made. Check on the official website, through the official Ayushman app, or go in person to the nearest hospital that is part of the scheme. All government hospitals with beds are treated as being part of it. The official helpline is 14555.

What this is

A government pension scheme run through banks and post offices. You pay a small amount regularly from your own account until you are 60. From 60 you get a fixed monthly pension for life. You choose the pension level when you join. After your death your husband or wife gets the same pension, and after both of you the nominee gets what has built up.

Who it is meant for

The official pages say it is open to citizens of India within the age range the rules set, who have their own savings bank or post office account. It is aimed mainly at workers who have no pension from an employer. Since 1 October 2022, a person who is or has been an income tax payer cannot open a new account. People who joined on or before 30 September 2022 stay in the scheme.

Where you actually go

Go to the bank branch or post office where you already have your savings account and ask for the Atal Pension Yojana form. Take your Aadhaar and your passbook. You choose the pension level and you must give a nominee name, which is compulsory. Before you sign, ask the staff to show you the exact monthly amount for your age and the pension level you have chosen. The helpline on the official page is 1800-110-069.

What this is

A pension scheme of the Labour Ministry for unorganised workers. You pay a small amount every month until you are 60, and the central government pays the same amount into your account. From 60 you get a monthly pension. If you die after the pension has started, your husband or wife gets half of it.

Who it is meant for

The official pages describe it as being for unorganised sector workers within the age range the rules set, whose monthly income is at or below a limit the scheme sets, who are not members of EPFO, ESIC or NPS, and who are not income tax payers. The income limit is the thing that stops many people, and many full time riders and drivers will be above it, so check the figure on the official page.

Where you actually go

The route every official source agrees on is to go in person to the nearest Common Service Centre. Take your Aadhaar, your savings bank or Jan Dhan passbook with the IFSC, and your mobile phone. Your first month's contribution is paid in cash at the centre, and the official page says you should be given a receipt for it. Insist on that receipt. After that the monthly amount is taken automatically from your bank account. Official helplines: 1800 267 6888 and 14434.

What this is

e-Shram is a government list of workers. Registering puts your name on that list and gives you a number and an e-Shram card. Registering is free. It is not insurance, and it is not money. It is a way of being on the record with the government.

Who it is meant for

The official pages describe it as being for people doing unorganised work, such as app based delivery and driving, construction, domestic work, street vending and farm labour. They say it is for workers who are not members of EPFO or ESIC, that there is an age range, and that a registrant should not be an income tax payer.

Where you actually go

You can register yourself on the official portal, or go in person to a Common Service Centre or State Seva Kendra. The official pages say you need an Aadhaar number and a mobile number linked to that Aadhaar. If your mobile is not linked, the official page says you can register at a Common Service Centre using your fingerprint. Registration is free and you should not be asked to pay anyone. There is no closing date. The official helpline is 14434, or 1800 889 6811, 9 am to 6 pm every day.

What this is

Every state has its own welfare board for construction workers, paid for by a fee that builders pay on construction work in that state. If you register with the board of the state where you work, that board can give you the help it has decided on. What is given, and how much, is decided by your state. There is no national board, no national form and no single national list of benefits.

Who it is meant for

This is for people who do building and other construction work: masons, helpers, carpenters, painters, plumbers on sites, road and drainage work and similar. The current law sets an age range and says the worker must have done construction work for at least 90 days in the previous 12 months. It is not for delivery riders, cab drivers, security guards, salon staff or factory staff unless they actually do construction work.

Where you actually go

Go to the board of the state where you work, not the state you are from. The safest way to find it is the official directory of state labour departments, or to go in person to your district labour office. Keep ready proof of age, proof of your address in that state, Aadhaar, photographs, and a certificate showing 90 days of construction work. That certificate normally comes from the employer or contractor. Renewal rules differ by state, so ask when you register.

What this is

This is a law, not a benefit you can claim today. It came into force on 21 November 2025 and is the first central law that names gig workers and platform workers. It gives the government the power to make schemes for them, covering things like life and disability cover, accident insurance, health and maternity benefits and old age support. Rules published in May 2026 set out how platform companies must register the workers on their apps.

Who it is meant for

The law is aimed at people who get work through an app or an online platform, such as delivery riders, bike and cab drivers and home service workers, and at unorganised workers more generally. Whether any particular person is covered, and whether they meet the conditions of any scheme, is decided by the government.

Where you actually go

The way to be counted is to register on the government's e-Shram portal, which is free. The e-Shram home page has a separate entry for a new platform worker. If you already have an e-Shram number, the portal asks existing registrants to update their profile and their occupation. Your platform company also now has a duty to register the workers on its app, but that does not stop you from registering yourself. Helpdesk: 14434 and 1800 889 6811.