UP govt extends old-age pension to 61L beneficiaries, raises target

LUcknow, Uttar Pradesh has achieved the place of extending old-age pension off back up to 61 lakh beneficiaries in the number one billet of 2025-26, prompting the state government to raise the bar to 67.50 lakh beneficiaries, an official statement said on Tuesday. In the first quarter of the previous financial year, the Uttar Pradesh government met its goal by crediting ₹1,000 monthly pension into the bank accounts of 56 lakh elderly beneficiaries. For 2025-26, the Social Welfare Department set a target of 61 lakh pensioners under the old-age pension scheme – a milestone it has already surpassed, prompting the government to raise the target even higher, the statement said. The introduction of the single nodal account system has made the pension distribution process fully digital and transparent, it said. Under this system, pension amounts are transferred directly to the Aadhaar-linked accounts, eliminating middlemen and ensuring timely, corruption-free disbursement. The SNA system also facilitates faster payments, easier audits, and more efficient fund tracking, ensuring that every rupee is used for its intended purpose, the statement said. The old-age pension scheme remains a cornerstone of the Yogi Adityanath government's public welfare agenda, aimed at making financially vulnerable senior citizens self-reliant. Under the scheme, all eligible individuals aged 60 years and above receive ₹1,000 per month to ease their financial hardship. Since the scheme's expansion began in 2017 – when it covered 37.47 lakh beneficiaries – its reach has nearly doubled, with the government now targeting 67.50 lakh beneficiaries. In keeping with the chief minister's directives, anyone found eligible beyond the set target is also included in the scheme. The reach of the scheme has grown steadily since 2018-19, when 40.71 lakh beneficiaries received ₹1,879 crore. By 2019-20, the numbers rose to 47.99 lakh , and in 2020-21 to 51.24 lakh. The upward trend continued with 51.92 lakh beneficiaries in 2021-22, 54.97 lakh in 2022-23, and 55.68 lakh in 2023-24. In 2024-25, 55.99 lakh elderly beneficiaries received pensions, the statement said. The scheme is now even more accessible through its online application facility. In the rural areas, applications are verified by the block development officer, while in urban areas, the sub-district magistrate is responsible. The annual income limit for eligibility is ₹56,460 in urban areas and ₹46,080 in rural areas, the statement said. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.