Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme – In 2007, the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) was expanded to include the Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme, which was first implemented by the Ministry of Rural Development. The acronym also stands for the “National Old Age Pension Scheme.” This is the IGNOAPS (NOAPS). Its purpose is to provide BPL candidates with financial aid qualified for social protection. In today’s article, we will learn about the Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme and its main features. Additionally, we will also shed some light on eligibility, documents, and also how to apply under the scheme.
Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme 2024
As a component of the National Social Assistance Program, it made its debut for the first time in the year 2007. It had previously been known as the National Old Age Pension Scheme. The National Social Assistance Programme, which was initiated by the Ministry of Rural Development of India, includes it as one of its 5 constituent parts. The number of people who are helped by this program accounts for 73% of the overall number of people helped by the NSAP.
IGNOAPS is available to everyone who is at least 60 years old. People who are between the ages of 60 and 79 are eligible for a pension of 200 rupees per month, but people who are 80 and beyond are eligible for a pension of 500 rupees per month.
The establishment of IGNOAPS is an important step towards the accomplishment of the goals outlined in Articles 41 and 42 of the Indian Constitution. In the event that members of low-income families reach retirement age, IGNOAPS intends to provide social assistance as well as raise the minimum national standards. At this time, more than 2 crore Indian residents are registered with IGNOAPS and may make use of its advantages. The BPL list that was generated by the states and UTs in accordance with the rules that were published by the MORD is used to identify the beneficiaries.
A pension is required to be provided by the states and UTs at their own expense in accordance with the terms of the NSAP. The majority of it is carried out in accordance with the directives and policies that were established by the central government.
IGNOAPS Details in Highlights
| Scheme Name | Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme |
| Objective | Provide Pensions to Economically lower classes |
| Beneficiary | Elder citizens |
| Application Procedure | Online |
| Website | www.nsap.nic.in |
Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme Objectives
The National Social Help Program (NSAP) is a social security and welfare program that offers support and assistance to senior citizens, widows and widowers, handicapped individuals, and bereaved families after the loss of the primary earner in the family.
Under this arrangement, retirees will be eligible to receive pension payments on a monthly basis. It’s a non-contributory pension, which means the beneficiary does not need to contribute anything in order to get the money.
Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme pension amounts
- IGNOAPS is for people over-60s.
- 60-79-year-olds get Rs.200 per month.
- Over-80 pension is Rs.500/month.
IGNOAPS Scheme Features
- States/UTs may adopt IGNOAPS by appointing a Nodal secretary. It coordinates with involved departments to report the scheme’s progress. Quarterly updates are provided.
- Senior persons in India will be eligible to receive a monthly pension thanks to the IGNOAPS program.
- It is a pension to which no contributions are made. This indicates that the recipient will not be required to make any kind of payment in order to get the pension.
Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme Benefits
- A pension is paid out on a monthly basis to Indian nationals who are above the age of 60 and live in households with an income that is less than the federal poverty level.
- The central contribution to the pension is INR 200 per month for every recipient up to the age of 79 years and INR 500 per month for every beneficiary from the age of 80 years and onwards.
- The state governments have the ability to add to the sum that was previously specified. Old age recipients may now get anything from INR 200 to INR 1000 per month, depending on the state’s contribution. For instance, the recipients in the state of Jammu and Kashmir get 400 Indian Rupees (INR) per month.
- The plan is a non-contributory method, which means that the recipients are not required to make any kind of contribution in order to be eligible for the pension.
- The pension is not limited to just one individual but is instead made accessible to any and all members of a BPL household who have reached the age of 60 or are older.
Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme Documents
The application form
- Age verification is obtained from the appropriate medical officer and confirmed by the Block medical officer.
- Income certificate
- Below poverty line card
- Passbook
- Applicant photo
- Ration card
- Identity and address proof
- Bank account information
National Old Age Pension Scheme Eligibility
- Over 60 is required.
- The candidate must live below India’s poverty level.
- The candidate must have little or no family or income-based financial assistance.
Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme Challenges
- The use of poverty (BPL) lists to target and identify beneficiaries has led to “significant inclusion and exclusion mistakes,” according to an IGNOAPS research.
- Despite having more recent data, the current approach utilizes the 2001 census and 2004-05 poverty rates to identify recipients.
- ST have a shorter life expectancy at birth than the general population, hence a minimum age limit may exclude them.
- Risk of complications is higher among slum dwellers and informal workers.
- Physical decline forces physically demanding workers out of the workforce early.
- The retirement age must be lowered. In Rajasthan, the minimum pension age has been lowered to 55 for women and 58 for men.
- Men get greater perks.
- This generates inequitable resource distribution and excludes women. Even among pensioners, states have a gender gap.
- In 13 of 19 states surveyed, qualified female benefactors outnumber actual recipients.
Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme Applying Procedure
Different states have different IGNOAPS application websites and processes.
IGNOAPS is mostly implemented by U.S. social welfare departments. Exceptions exist. Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Meghalaya, Goa, and West Bengal implement IGNOAPS. IGNOAPS is used in Puducherry and Orissa. Visit the Rural Social Welfare Department or the District Social Welfare Officer for an urgent application.
- Obtain a request form from the social department that is applicable to your situation.
- The office of the Block Development Officer or the appropriate Executive Officer will provide it free of charge to anybody who requests it.
- The second step is to fill in the specifics: Name given to the House Number Society, Village panchayat name, Specifics on the block, the district, and the state.
- Age as well as DOB, Information included on a birth certificate
- Beneficiary and heirs, according to gender, annual income, Voter ID number
- The third step is to fill in the specifics: Deliver the completed application form and any supporting documentation to the official who is in charge of the matter.
- Step four is to be patient while the relevant authorities review the application.
- The criterion for income and destitute status will be decided based on the certificate that is provided by a Gazetted Officer and the Revenue authorities that are responsible for the region in question.
- In the fifth and last step, the application is handed over to the Tehsil Social Welfare Officer, who conducts an examination of it.
- After that concerned authorities deliver it to the District Social Welfare Officer that is responsible for the area. If the request for money is accepted, welfare will make the necessary arrangements.
- From the waiting list, the sanctioning is carried out according to the principle of first come, first served.
- The ultimate permission will be given by the District Level Sanctioning Committee, which is the sixth step.
National Old Age Pension Scheme Payment Details
The following procedure may be followed by applicants in order to examine online the pension payment information that is associated with this scheme:
- Please check out the NSAP webpage in order to start the process.
- Simply choose the “Report” button that is located on the homepage once you visit the site.
- Under the heading “Beneficiary Search, track, and payment details,” locate the option labeled “Pension Payment Details,” and then choose it.
- Choose the option that is labeled “Sanction Order No/Application No.”
- The ‘Sanction order/Application number and the ‘Code’ need to be entered, and then the ‘Submit’ button has to be clicked.
- The particulars of the pension payments will be presented.