Union Cabinet approves Rs 53,428-crore five-year outlay for renamed National Social Assistance Programme with eased disability pension norms

Key facts

• The Union Cabinet approved an outlay of Rs 53,428 crore for the continuation of the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) for five years, from 2026-27 to 2030-31.
• The NSAP will be renamed the Pradhan Mantri Samajik Sahayata Yojana.
• Under the revised norms, monthly assistance under the disability pension scheme will be Rs 375 for beneficiaries aged up to 79 years and Rs 625 for those aged 80 years and above.
• The benchmark disability requirement for the pension has been reduced from 80 per cent to 40 per cent, and the minimum age criterion has been removed, making persons with disabilities eligible for assistance from birth.
• The revised eligibility criteria, beneficiary coverage and assistance rates under the disability pension scheme will be implemented within three months of the issuance of guidelines.
• The revised disability pension norms align with the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, which recognises a benchmark disability of 40 per cent and provides for disability-related assistance to be at least 25 per cent higher than comparable schemes for other categories.
• The pension schemes for the elderly and widows, along with the National Family Benefit Scheme, will continue in their existing form.
• The Cabinet's approval is expected to benefit 3.20 crore beneficiaries across all 36 states and Union territories.
• The Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme will be renamed the Pradhan Mantri Vridhavastha Pension Yojana, the Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme the Pradhan Mantri Vidhawa Pension Yojana, the Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme the Pradhan Mantri Divyangjan Pension Yojana, and the National Family Benefit Scheme the Pradhan Mantri Parivar Labh Yojana.
• Launched on August 15, 1995, the NSAP provides assistance to poor households under the Centre's responsibility under Article 41 of the Directive Principles of State Policy, with the Centre providing 100 per cent central assistance to ensure uniform availability of support across the country.