The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved continuation of the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) for five years from 2026-27 to 2030-31 with a total outlay of ₹53,428 crore.
The approval also includes renaming the scheme and its sub-schemes, revising eligibility criteria, coverage and assistance rates under the disability pension scheme, and continuing the old-age and widow pension schemes and family benefit scheme in their existing form.
NSAP will be renamed Pradhan Mantri Samajik Sahayata Yojana.
The Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme will be renamed Pradhan Mantri Vridhavastha Pension Yojana, while the Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme will become Pradhan Mantri Vidhawa Pension Yojana.
The Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme will be renamed Pradhan Mantri Divyangjan Pension Yojana, while the National Family Benefit Scheme will be called Pradhan Mantri Parivar Labh Yojana.
Disability pension eligibility widened
Under the revised divyangjan pension scheme, the assistance amount will be ₹375 for beneficiaries aged up to 79 years and ₹625 for those aged 80 years and above.
The eligibility threshold for benchmark disability will be reduced to 40 per cent from 80 per cent at present. The minimum age criterion for receiving disability pension will also be revised to allow eligibility from birth.
The pension schemes for the elderly and widows and the family benefit scheme will continue in their existing form.
The government said around 32 million beneficiaries across all 36 states and Union Territories would benefit from the approval. Guidelines incorporating the changes in eligibility criteria, number of beneficiaries and assistance rates under the divyangjan pension scheme will be issued and implemented within three months.
NSAP was launched on August 15, 1995, to provide assistance to poor households and fulfil the Centre’s responsibility under the Directive Principles of State Policy in Article 41 of the Constitution.
The government said 100 per cent central assistance was intended to ensure that benefits were uniformly available across the country.
The release said the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, necessitated changes in disability pension eligibility by linking it to the benchmark disability threshold of 40 per cent. It also mandates disability-related assistance at a level 25 per cent higher than comparable schemes for other categories.
NSAP was launched on August 15, 1995, to provide assistance to poor households and fulfil the Centre’s responsibility under the Directive Principles of State Policy in Article 41 of the Constitution.
The government said 100 per cent central assistance was intended to ensure that benefits were uniformly available across the country.
The release said the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, necessitated changes in disability pension eligibility by linking it to the benchmark disability threshold of 40 per cent. It also mandates disability-related assistance at a level 25 per cent higher than comparable schemes for other categories.
