Disability Pension Widened to 27 Lakh People: 40% Benchmark Disability, Higher Rates and NSAP Renamed
The Union Cabinet approved continuing the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) until 2030-31, with an outlay (planned spending) of ₹53,428 crore over five years, starting from the current financial year. NSAP is renamed the Pradhan Mantri Samajik Sahayata Yojana.
Its schemes are also renamed: old-age pension becomes Pradhan Mantri Vridhavastha Pension Yojana, widow pension becomes Pradhan Mantri Vidhawa Pension Yojana, disability pension becomes Pradhan Mantri Divyangjan Pension Yojana, and the National Family Benefit Scheme becomes Pradhan Mantri Parivar Labh Yojana.
Disability pension eligibility is widened in two ways: the minimum age of 18 years is removed, and the disability needed falls from 80% to 40% (the "benchmark disability" under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016).
Monthly disability pension rates rise by 25%: from ₹300 to ₹375 (up to age 79) and from ₹500 to ₹625 (age 80 and above). Coverage is expected to grow from about 8.33 lakh to 27 lakh people.
The changes to the disability pension will be put in place within three months of the guidelines being issued. The old-age, widow and family benefit schemes continue in their existing form.
The programme is expected to benefit 3.20 crore people across all 36 states and Union Territories, with pensions paid directly into beneficiaries' bank accounts.
National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP)
The National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) is the Union government's main scheme to give a small, regular cash pension to the poorest old people, widows and persons with disabilities, and a one-time payment to poor families who lose their main earner. It was launched on 15 August 1995 and is run by the Ministry of Rural Development in both rural and urban areas. It works as a basic social safety net for people who cannot earn enough to live on. States are encouraged to add their own money on top of the central amount.
The Cabinet decision continues, renames and partly reforms the NSAP. The biggest change is to the disability pension, which now covers more people at higher rates, while the other components continue as before under new names.
Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016
The Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016 is India's main law protecting the rights of disabled people. It replaced the older Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995, and was passed to bring Indian law in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), which India ratified in 2007. It says persons with disabilities must get equal rights, dignity and full participation in society. It also places duties on governments to provide reservation, accessibility and social security.
The new disability pension rules follow this Act directly. The eligibility line moves from 80% to the Act's 40% benchmark disability, and the new rates (₹375 and ₹625) are exactly 25% higher than the earlier ₹300 and ₹500, matching the Section 24 rule that disability assistance must be at least 25% higher than for others.
Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP)
The Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSPs) are a set of goals in Part IV of the Constitution (Articles 36 to 51) that tell the government what kind of society it should work towards, such as a fair, welfare-oriented society. They are like a guidebook for making laws and policies. Unlike Fundamental Rights, they cannot be enforced in a court. But Article 37 says they are "fundamental in the governance of the country" and the State must apply them when making laws.
The NSAP was started as a step towards the Centre's duty under Article 41. Extending it to 2030-31 and widening disability pensions is a fresh use of this Directive Principle, while the phrase "within the limits of its economic capacity" explains why pension amounts remain modest.
- NSAP renamed: Pradhan Mantri Samajik Sahayata Yojana; extended till 2030-31; outlay ₹53,428 crore over five years
- New names: PM Vridhavastha Pension Yojana (old age), PM Vidhawa Pension Yojana (widow), PM Divyangjan Pension Yojana (disability), PM Parivar Labh Yojana (family benefit)
- Disability pension: minimum age of 18 removed; eligibility from 80% to 40% disability
- Disability pension rates: ₹300 to ₹375 per month (up to 79 years); ₹500 to ₹625 per month (80 years and above), a 25% rise
- Disability pension coverage: from 8.33 lakh to about 27 lakh beneficiaries
- Total NSAP beneficiaries: 3.20 crore across all 36 states and UTs
- NSAP launched: 15 August 1995; 100% central assistance; direct transfer to bank accounts
- RPwD Act, 2016: 21 disabilities; benchmark disability = at least 40%; Section 24 requires disability assistance to be at least 25% higher