Yogi Govt Expands Pension Scheme To Benefit More Elderly In Uttar Pradesh

Lucknow: Delivering on his promise, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ensured old-age pensions for 61 lakh poor senior citizens of Uttar Pradesh in the first quarter itself. Now, the government has raised the bar, aiming to extend this support to 67.50 lakh elderly in 2025–26.

In the first quarter of the previous financial year, the Yogi government met its goal by crediting ₹1,000 monthly pensions directly into the bank accounts of 56 lakh elderly beneficiaries. For 2025–26, the Social Welfare Department had set a target of 61 lakh pensioners under the Old Age Pension Scheme — a milestone already surpassed, prompting the government to raise the target even higher.

The move reinforces the Yogi government’s strong commitment to the welfare and dignity of senior citizens. The introduction of the Single Nodal Account (SNA) system has made the pension distribution process fully digital and transparent. Under this system, pension amounts are transferred directly to Aadhaar-linked accounts, eliminating middlemen and ensuring timely, corruption-free disbursement. The SNA system also facilitates faster payments, easier audits, and efficient fund tracking, guaranteeing that every rupee is used for the intended purpose.

The Old Age Pension Scheme remains a cornerstone of the Yogi 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 financial hardship in their later years.

Since the scheme’s expansion began in 2017 — when it covered 37.47 lakh beneficiaries — the reach has nearly doubled, now targeting 67.50 lakh people. This growth reflects the government’s proactive efforts to identify and enrol eligible citizens at both the development block and the gram panchayat levels. 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 Old Age Pension Scheme has grown steadily since 2018–19, when 40.71 lakh beneficiaries received ₹1,879 crore. By 2019–20, the number rose to 47.99 lakh (₹2,698 crore), and in 2020–21 to 51.24 lakh (₹3,694 crore). The upward trend continued with 51.92 lakh (₹4,278 crore) in 2021–22, 54.97 lakh (₹6,083 crore) in 2022–23, and 55.68 lakh (₹6,464 crore) in 2023–24. In 2024–25, 55.99 lakh elderly beneficiaries received pensions.

The achievement of this year’s target within the first quarter itself highlights the government’s priority towards ensuring both the financial security and self-respect of the elderly.

The scheme is now even more accessible through its online application facility at https://sspy-up.gov.in. In 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.

For lakhs of poor elderly citizens across Uttar Pradesh, this scheme is proving to be nothing less than a lifeline.