NEW DELHI : The Centre has widened eligibility for disability pensions under its social assistance programme, reducing the benchmark disability requirement from 80% to 40% and removing the minimum age limit so that eligible persons with disabilities can receive assistance from birth.
The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on October 14 approved the continuation of the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) for five years, from 2026-27 to 2030-31, with an outlay of Rs 53,428 crore. The programme, which supports vulnerable households through pensions and other assistance, is expected to benefit 3.2 crore people across all 36 states and Union territories.
The revised disability pension rates will be Rs 375 per month for beneficiaries aged below 80 and Rs 625 per month for those aged 80 and above. The changes bring the scheme’s benchmark disability requirement in line with the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, which defines benchmark disability as at least 40%.
The revised criteria could bring more people with disabilities within the pension scheme’s coverage, particularly those whose disability falls between 40% and 79% and who were previously excluded under the 80% threshold. Removing the minimum age criterion also allows eligible children with disabilities to qualify from birth, subject to the scheme’s other conditions. The Department of Rural Development will issue guidelines covering the revised eligibility criteria, beneficiary numbers and assistance rates within three months, according to the government announcement.
The Cabinet has also approved renaming the National Social Assistance Programme as the Pradhan Mantri Samajik Sahayata Yojana. Its component schemes will also receive new names.
The Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme will become the Pradhan Mantri Vridhavastha Pension Yojana, while the Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme will be renamed the Pradhan Mantri Vidhawa Pension Yojana. The disability pension component will be called the Pradhan Mantri Divyangjan Pension Yojana, and the National Family Benefit Scheme will become the Pradhan Mantri Parivar Labh Yojana.
Pension support for older people and widows, along with the family benefit scheme, will continue in their existing form. The Cabinet announcement did not specify changes to their eligibility criteria or assistance rates.
Launched on August 15, 1995, the NSAP aims to provide social assistance to poor households, reflecting the Central government’s responsibility under Article 41 of the Constitution, which concerns public assistance in cases including old age, sickness, disability and other forms of need.
The programme provides central assistance to eligible beneficiaries across the country. According to the government, the objective is to ensure that support is uniformly available, irrespective of where beneficiaries live.
The change in disability eligibility follows the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016. The government said the law necessitated aligning the scheme’s benchmark disability threshold with the 40% standard. It also provides that disability-related assistance should be 25% higher than comparable schemes for other categories, according to the Cabinet note.
The revised criteria mark a shift towards including a wider group of persons with disabilities in the pension scheme. However, the monthly assistance amounts remain modest, and the extent to which the changes improve access will depend on implementation, identification of eligible beneficiaries and timely delivery of payments.
With the programme continuing until 2030-31, the next step will be the issuance of detailed guidelines and their implementation across states and Union territories.
