The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, or PMAY was launched in June 2015 as a means of making housing and home ownership more affordable for Indian citizens across various income groups. Whether an individual falls under the Middle Income group (MIG), Lower Income Group (LIG) or Economically Weaker Section (EWS), he or she can be eligible to receive benefits under the PMAY scheme.

However, like any government-backed scheme, there are various eligibility criteria that come into play here as well. Having said that, the criteria for Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana eligibility are fairly simple and have largely been put into place to ensure that the benefits are appropriately distributed to the needy parties.

If you too would like to know what the criteria for Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana eligibility are and how you can fulfill them, here is a brief run-down of the same:

Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Eligibility Criteria

Here are the main eligibility criteria listed out under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana scheme:

  • Any Indian household that generates an annual income between Rs. 3 Lakhs and Rs. 18 Lakhs can be eligible for the PMAY scheme.
  • To fulfill eligibility for the PMAY scheme, the applicant must not have ownership of a pucca house in any part of India. This condition of non-ownership also extends to members of the applicant’s family.
  • The applicant or any member of his or her household must also not have previously received any subsidies under the CLSS (Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme) scheme.
  • For applicants under the LIG and EWS categories, it is compulsory that a female member in his family be appointed either owner or co-owner of the property.
  • The eligibility criteria also depend on the carpet area of the property. This maximum carpet area requirement differs across the income groups and is represented in the table below:
 Income Group Max. Carpet Area (in square metres)
EWS
(Upto Rs. 3 Lakhs)
Cannot exceed 30 sq. mts.
LIG
(Rs. 3 Lakhs – Rs. 6 Lakhs)
Cannot exceed 60 sq. mts.
MIG I
(Rs. 6 Lakhs – Rs. 12 Lakhs)
Cannot exceed 160 sq. mts.
MIG II
(Rs. 12 Lakhs – Rs. 18 Lakhs)
Cannot exceed 200 sq. mts.

Using an Eligibility Calculator

It can also be helpful to make use of a convenient digital tool like a PMAY Eligibility Calculator. Here are the steps you will be required to follow with the eligibility calculator:

  1. Enter details such as your location and date of birth.
  2. Next, enter your annual family income.
  3. Then, select the appropriate tenure you will require to repay the loan.
  4. Enter any existing EMIs.
  5. Next, click on the “Check Your Eligibility” button.
  6. Select the option marked as ‘PMAY and  click on ‘Submit’.

In Conclusion

The PMAY scheme is set to benefit a number of hopeful homeowners across India and can offer a wide variety of benefits to eligible applicants. It is good to know that the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana eligibility criteria are fairly basic and should be easy to fulfill for most applicants.