Universal Social Security Scheme  – The Central Government has approved the Universal Social Security Scheme. Under this scheme, the state government will benefit 50 crore Indian workers including those who are working in farm sectors. Apart from this, this scheme will also provide retirement, health, old-age, disability, unemployment and maternity benefits for workers. The Central Government of India will implement this scheme in 3 phases with an expense of Rs. 2 Lakh crore on the basis of the universal social security code.

Universal Social Security Scheme -Details

Ministry of Finance and Labor will work on the details of this scheme. For the bottom 40% share of the country’s total workforce, around 2 lakh crores will be required for this scheme to be fully implemented. The rest 60 percent of the workforce must have to make either partial or full contribution from their own pocket.

The Universal Social Security Scheme is the second mass benefit social scheme launched by the Indian Government after Ayushman Bharat Yojana / National Health Protection Scheme. Previously, the government launched NHPS scheme for providing Rs. 5 lakh health insurance coverage per year to 100 million (10 crore) families.

Universal Social Security Scheme – Implement in 3 Phases

The plan is to implement the Universal Social Security Scheme in three steps in 10 years. The government expects that it will be universal after that. In the first phase, all workers will be given minor coverage, which will include Health Security and Retirement Benefits. Unemployment benefits will be added in the second phase. The second welfare schemes can be started in the third phase.

• • First Phase – In Ist phase, workers getting the bare minimum coverage which includes health security and retirement benefits.
  • Second Phase – In the second phase, the addition of unemployment benefits to the benefits of 1st phase will take place.
  • Third Phase – All other welfare measures will get included in the last phase to provide complete social security benefits to the workers.

Universal Social Security Scheme – Identification of Beneficiaries

50 crore beneficiaries will be divided into four levels. The first level will be people below poverty line, who can not make secure payments. The cost associated with such people will be from the Central Government to the tax collected for the benefit of these people. Workers of the unorganized sector who can contribute to some extent will be covered under subsidized schemes at the second level. There will be people in the third level, who can make enough contributions with themselves or with their employers. In the fourth level, relatively accountable workers will be kept, who can contribute themselves.

Tier	Beneficiaries
1st Tier	Destitute and Below Poverty Line (BPL) people who are unable to contribute for security payments with the cost being borne entirely by the govt. through tax based schemes.
2nd Tier	Unorganized sector workers who can contribute some amount but are not self sufficient. These may be covered under various subsidized schemes.
3rd Tier	All those people who can make necessary contributions either by themselves or jointly with their employers in order to become self sufficient.
4th Tier	Relatively rich and prosperous people who can make their own provisions to meet emergencies or risks as it occurs.