Find out if / what scheme exists
Citizens often depend on word of mouth because official
information is difficult to access.
India spends billions on welfare. Most people who need it can’t access it.
A new report from Indus Action measures the hidden cost of accessing your rights and entitlements.
The Story of Manpreet
1
Manpreet, a daily wage worker with no safety net, returns home anxious about rising costs and uncertain work
2
A collision scatters pamphlets for a welfare scheme that could help workers like Manpreet weather financial hardship.
3
Manpreet walks away unaware. Welfare is a right, yet remains inaccessible for those who need it most.
Administrative Burden is the time, money and stress that come with trying to access welfare entitlements. Schemes exist. But for many, accessing them remains the real challenge.
What Is
Administrative Burden?
Administrative burden is the time, money, and stress that come with trying to get help from the government. It is not about whether a scheme exists. It is about whether a person can actually reach it.
Money
Money spent on documents, travel, intermediaries
Time
Days lost from work
Stress
Stress, confusion, fear of rejection
Experience
Overall experience of the process
The Data, State by State
Mature state
Where Indus Action has worked for several years
Nascent stage
Where Indus Action’s work is just beginning.
Monetary Cost
10x higher without intervention
Rs 300
per citizen
Rs 3,145
per citizen
Time Lost
Every single person loses paid days
45%
skip half a day of work
100%
skip at least 3 days
Stress and Frustration
More than double
33%
reported frustration
73%
reported frustration
Monetary Cost
10x higher without intervention
Mature state
worked for several years
Rs 300
per citizen
vs
Nascent stage
work is just beginning
Rs 3,145
per citizen
Time Lost
Every single person loses paid days
Mature state
worked for several years
45%
skip half a day of work
vs
Nascent stage
work is just beginning
100%
skip at least 3 days
Stress and Frustration
More than double
Mature state
worked for several years
33%
reported frustration
vs
Nascent stage
work is just beginning
73%
reported frustration
“What does it actually take to apply?”
1
2
Gather documents
Workers may visit multiple offices and lose wages just to
collect paperwork.
3
Fill out and submit the application
Applications can feel confusing, forcing many citizens to rely on intermediaries.
4
Wait for approval
Limited updates and repeated follow-ups make the process stressful and uncertain.
5
Receive the entitlement
Even after approval, citizens may wait months before the entitlement is actually delivered.
The process costs roughly eight days of wages. For someone earning Rs 395 a day, that is not a fee. That is a crisis.
– Tarun Cherukuri, Founder & CEO
How do you reduce administrative burden?
Redesigning digital forms
Redesigning digital forms so workers can register in minutes, not days
Connecting government databases
Connecting government databases so documents are verified automatically
Rethinking scheme
Rethinking scheme design at the root, removing steps that should never have been there
Go deeper
The data tells us a lot. It doesn’t tell us everything.
Our surveys measure burden after someone applies. They do not capture those who never trusted the system, or never knew support existed.
