Kerala Advocates’ Clerks Welfare Fund

The Kerala Advocates’ Clerks Welfare Fund Committee was set up on 24-06-2004 to establish a Welfare Fund for the payment of retirement and other benefits to the Advocates’ Clerks in the State of Kerala as per the Kerala Advocates’ Clerks Welfare Fund Act, 2003. The Committee is a body corporate having perpetual succession and a common seal with power to acquire, hold and dispose of property. The main function of the Committee is to administer the Fund subject to the provisions of the Kerala Advocates’ Clerks Welfare Fund Act, 2003 and the Kerala Advocates’ Clerks Welfare Fund Rules, 2004. It shall also be the duty of the Committee to recognise Advocates’ Clerks Associations and Advocates’ Clerks.

Before the commencement of the Kerala Advocates’ Clerks Welfare Fund Committee, the Government had implemented a welfare scheme for the Advocate’s Clerks (the Kerala Advocates’ Clerks Welfare Fund Scheme, 1985) through Kerala State Insurance Department. The control and supervision of the Kerala Advocates’ Clerks Welfare Fund Scheme, 1985 have been transferred to the Kerala Advocates’ Clerks Welfare Fund Committee from the financial year 2014-15 as stipulated in the Kerala Advocates’ Clerks Welfare Fund Act, 2003.

Establishment
· The Committee consists of the following members
· The Law Secretary- ex-officio who shall be the Chairman of the Committee.

· An officer from the Finance department not below the rank of a Deputy Secretary to be nominated by the Govt

· An Advocate nominated by the State Bar Council
· An officer from the Law Department not below the rank of a Joint Secretary to be nominated by the Government.
· Three Members to be nominated by the Government from among the Advocates’ Clerks
· The Secretary of the Committee who is an officer of the Law Department not below the rank of a Deputy Secretary to be appointed by the Government on deputation basis.

Head Office: Office of the Kerala Advocates’ Clerks Welfare Fund Committee, Mony Mandiram, T.C 26/580(1),SERA-24, Behind Press Club, Thiruvananthapuram. Telephone:0471-2320232

Source of Income
The main sources of income of the Fund are the amount collected by way of sale of the Kerala Advocates’ Clerks Welfare Fund Stamps and the annual subscription of members of the Fund. At present, the value of the stamp is Rs 12/- and the rate of annual subscription of the Members is Rs. 1200/-. The number of live members presently in the Fund is around 6000. In addition to the above, thirty percent of the Kerala Legal Benefit Fund contributed by the Kerala Legal Benefit Fund Committee is also a major source of income of the Kerala Advocates’ Clerks Welfare Fund.

Benefits to Members

Festival Allowance

All members of the Fund who have completed one year after their admission in the Fund with no dues at the end of 31st March every year to the Fund are eligible to get the festival allowance @ Rs. 1500/-.
Medical Reimbursement
The Committee has decided to implement a Medical Reimbursement Scheme for the treatment of the Members and their dependants (limited to four). As per the Scheme, the Committee reimburse the medical expenses upto Rs. 35,000/-
per year. In addition, an amount of Rs. 5,000/- will be reimbursed towards the critical care treatment in relation to stroke, cancer, chronic renal failure, multiple sclerosis, coronary artery diseases of the Members.

Retirement Benefits

A Member of the Fund may withdraw his membership at any time after five years of his admission as a Member of the Fund. On such withdrawal, he shall be entitled to receive from out of the Fund a consolidated amount, based on his number of years of service as an Advocates’ Clerk at the rates prescribed in the Schedule, if he retires after attaining the age of 60 years. If the Advocates’ Clerk retires before attaining the age of 60 years, he shall be entitled to receive the total amount remitted by him as subscription with interest @ 6%.

Death Claims

The death benefit to the nominees of the Member who died before completing five years of service is Rs. 50,000/-. In all other cases, the death benefit will be sanctioned at the rates prescribed in the Schedule on the basis of the number of years of service, to the nominee or dependents.

Ex Gratia Payment to the Disabled Members

A Member suffering from permanent disablement may withdraw his membership within five years of his admission to the Fund. Ex Gratia payment as per the Schedule will be sanctioned to those Members who suffer from permanent disablement after five years of admission in the Fund. If the member withdraws his membership within five years of admission due to permanent disablement, he shall be entitled to an amount of Rs. 50,000/- if he has ten years of service as Advocates’ Clerk.

Pension Scheme

Any Advocate clerk, who retires before the completion of three years in the Welfare Fund, after the age of sixty years , shall be entitled to a monthly pension of Rs. 500 and any Advocate clerk, who retires after the completion of three years of membership but before the completion of six years of membership shall be entitled to a monthly pension of Rs. 750/- and any Advocate clerk, who retires after the completion of six years of membership but before the completion of eight years of membership shall be entitled to a monthly pension of Rs. 1000/- and any Advocate clerk who has completed eight years of membership shall be entitled to a monthly pension of Rs. 1600/- and any Advocate clerk shall be entitled to a maximum pension of Rs. 2000/- at the rate of Rs. 50/- for each subsequent year of service”.. The nominee of the Advocate Clerk who has eight years before attaining the age of 60 will get family pension .