Cabinet Renews Social Assistance Programme and Widens Disability Pension Eligibility
The Union Cabinet approved a five-year renewal of the National Social Assistance Programme on October 14, combining continued support for vulnerable households with wider disability-pension eligibility. The approved outlay is ₹53,428 crore for 2026–27 to 2030–31. The government says the decision will benefit 3.20 crore people across all 36 states and Union territories. The programme will be renamed Pradhan Mantri Samajik Sahayata Yojana. Under its disability component, the qualifying benchmark will fall from 80% disability to 40%, and eligibility will begin from birth. The approved assistance is ₹375 for people aged 0–79 and ₹625 for those aged 80 or above. Guidelines covering the revised eligibility, beneficiary numbers and assistance are to be issued and implemented within three months. Cabinet announcement . Changes differ across pension categories Moneycontrol’s report of the Cabinet briefing identifies the new disability amounts as monthly assistance. It also reports that old-age ...