About Atal Beemit Vyakti Kalyan Yojana (ABVKY):
- It is an unemployment relief scheme for workers covered under the Employees' State Insurance (ESI) Act.
- It was introduced on July 1, 2018. It is being implemented by the Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC).
- It provides temporary financial assistance to insured employees who lose their jobs, helping them meet expenses while searching for fresh employment.
- Benefits: The scheme provides relief to the extent of 50% of the average daily earnings during the previous four contribution periods (total earnings during the four contribution periods/730) to be paid up to a maximum of 90 days of unemployment once in the Insured Person’s lifetime.
- The Eligibility Criteria to Avail Benefit under the ABVKY is as under:
- The employees must be covered under Section 2(9) of the ESI Act of 1948;
- During the period of the claim for relief, the Insured Person (IP) must be unemployed;
- The IP must have worked in insurable employment for at least two years.
- The IP’s contribution should not be less than 78 days during each of the four contribution periods.
- The contribution in respect of him should have been paid or payable by the employer.
- The IP’s Aadhaar and bank account must be linked.
- Relief under ABVKY shall not be admissible in the following circumstance:
- During lockout.
- Strike resorted to by the employees declared illegal by the competent authority.
- Voluntary abandonment of employment/voluntary retirement/premature retirement.
- Less than two years of contributory service.
- On attaining the age of superannuation.
- Convicted (i.e. punished for a false statement) under the provisions of Section 84 of the ESI Act read with Rule 62 of the ESI (Central) Rule
- On being re-employed elsewhere during the period he/she is in receipt of relief under ABVKY.
- Dismissal/termination under disciplinary action.
- On the death of the IP.
- The claim for relief under ABVKY may be submitted by the claimant any time after rendering unemployed, but not later than one year from the date of unemployment.
