This week, India’s government unveiled a compensation program that would provide 50,000 rupees (about $670) to the families of past and future Covid-19 victims. That’s more than half of what most people in the country earn annually, according to the government’s most recent estimate of income per capita for the 2019-2020 financial year.

In theory, the program should help people like Srivastava. But experts believe the true death toll may be many times the official tally of 450,000 — and the families of some victims may end up missing out on compensation because they either don’t have a death certificate or the cause of death is not listed as Covid-19.

The Indian government has promised no families will be denied compensation “solely on the ground” that their death certificate does not mention Covid-19.

But days after the compensation plan was announced, the rules remain unclear — and that’s causing stress for many Indians struggling to feed their families after losing a breadwinner during one of the world’s worst Covid outbreaks.