How to apply for old age pension (IGNOAPS + state top-up) — complete 2026 guide

As of March 2026, 3.4 crore beneficiaries are drawing old age, widow or disability pension under NSAP across India (Ministry of Rural Development dashboard). Of these, an estimated 18-22 lakh experience credit-month gaps each year — the single biggest reason being state-portion budget release delays at the district treasury.

The National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) is a centrally sponsored scheme launched in 1995. Its old age pension component is the Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS). The constitutional anchor is Article 41 of the Constitution — a Directive Principle of State Policy that obliges the State to make effective provision for “public assistance in cases of unemployment, old age, sickness and disablement”. The operating document is the NSAP Operational Guidelines issued by the Ministry of Rural Development (latest revision 2023).

Almost every state runs its own old age pension scheme that is paid on top of IGNOAPS. Examples (FY 2025-26 monthly rates): UP Vridhavastha Pension ₹1,000 (combined); MH Sanjay Gandhi Niradhar / Shravan Bal ₹1,500; KA Sandhya Suraksha ₹1,200; TN Indira Gandhi TN Old Age Pension ₹1,500; AP YSR Pension Kanuka ₹3,000 (65+: ₹3,500); TG Aasara ₹3,016; Delhi Old Age Pension ₹2,500 (70+: ₹3,000); Kerala ₹1,600; Rajasthan Mukhya Mantri Vridhjan Samman ₹1,150 (75+: ₹1,500); WB Jai Bangla ₹1,000-₹1,500.

You are eligible for IGNOAPS if all are true:

• Age 60 or above (some state schemes still require 65+; check yours).
• Household listed as BPL in the SECC 2011 (Socio Economic Caste Census) database, OR household income below the state-prescribed limit (UP: ₹46,080/year rural / ₹56,460 urban; MH: ₹21,000/year; varies elsewhere).
• Not drawing any other government pension (EPF Pension, retirement pension, central/state employee family pension, etc.).
• Not a regular income tax payer.

The amount sanctioned depends on age slab (₹200 for 60-79, ₹500 for 80+ from the Centre) plus the state's slab for your age and category (BPL / non-BPL / SC-ST / minority — many states have category top-ups too).

• Check the state Social Welfare portal for your state (links above). Most portals have an “Eligibility check” or “Self-declaration” form that confirms which schemes you can apply for in one shot.
• If you are listed in SECC 2011 (check at secc.gov.in or any CSC) you go through the IGNOAPS path automatically.
• If not listed in SECC but your annual income is below the state ceiling, you go through the state-only scheme — which usually pays the same amount or more.
• Print or note down the exact scheme name — at the BDO office, “Old Age Pension” can mean three different things in three different files.

• Aadhaar card of the applicant.
• Age proof — voter ID is universally accepted; PAN, Aadhaar, secondary school certificate, or a Medical Officer's age certificate from the nearest CHC if no document shows DOB.
• Income certificate from the Tehsildar (only for state schemes that need it; not for SECC-BPL-listed applicants for IGNOAPS).
• Bank passbook — first page — with Aadhaar seeded (very important; we'll come back to this).
• Recent passport-size photo (one for the form, one for the office register).
• Two witnesses from the same revenue village / ward — name, signature, voter ID number. Usually the village pradhan and one neighbour.
• Mobile number — pension SMS alerts go here.
• Caste certificate (only if applying under SC/ST/OBC top-up scheme).
• Disability certificate (only if also claiming disability pension).

This is the single most common reason pension never lands. The “DBT” (Direct Benefit Transfer) system pushes money to whichever bank account is linked to your Aadhaar in the NPCI mapper — not necessarily the account you wrote on the form.

• SMS ``UID<space>Last 4 digits of Aadhaar`` to 567678 or 51969 to check seeding status with your bank, OR
• Visit your bank branch with Aadhaar + passbook → fill NPCI Aadhaar Seeding Consent Form → branch updates the mapper → confirmation in 2-5 days.
• If you have multiple bank accounts all linked to the same Aadhaar, only the most recent one in the NPCI mapper gets the DBT.

UP example (sspy-up.gov.in):

1. Open https://sspy-up.gov.in → “Vridhavastha Pension” → “Online Aavedan Karein”.
2. Fill: name, father/husband name, DOB, Aadhaar, mobile, address (district → tehsil → block → village).
3. Upload: photo, Aadhaar, bank passbook, age proof, income certificate (if non-SECC), caste certificate (if applicable).
4. Submit → online registration number is generated → SMS to your mobile.
5. Take a printout of the acknowledgement and keep with you for the field visit.

Maharashtra (aaplesarkar.maharashtra.gov.in), Karnataka (sevasindhu.karnataka.gov.in), Tamil Nadu (cmschemes.tn.gov.in), AP (gsws.ap.gov.in), Telangana (aasara.telangana.gov.in), Delhi (edistrict.delhincr.nic.in) — same flow, different field labels.

• Rural — go to the Block Development Officer (BDO) or Gram Panchayat Sachiv with all documents. They have the printed application form. Some states keep the form at the Common Service Centre (CSC) where the operator does the online filing for ₹30-50.
• Urban — go to the Mandal Office (in AP/TG), Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) office, or Municipal Ward Office (in Delhi/Mumbai). Some states route urban applications through the Tehsildar.
• Get a stamped acknowledgement with inward number and date — without this you have no record of when the clock started.

This is the slowest step. By the operational guidelines it must finish in 30 days; in practice it takes 30-60 days.

• In rural areas, the Lekhpal / Patwari / Village Revenue Officer (VRO) visits your house, asks a few questions, takes your photo on a department phone, gets you to sign the verification report, and uploads it to the portal.
• In urban areas, the Anganwadi Worker or Ward Social Welfare Officer does the same.
• They confirm: you actually live at the given address, you are the age you claim, you are not drawing another pension, and (if applicable) your income / BPL status.
• If the verification officer doesn't visit in 30 days, call the BDO/SDM and quote your registration number. Visit if needed.

• Block/Mandal Sanctioning Officer signs off; DSWO counter-signs for IGNOAPS. Sanction order PDF downloadable on the portal.
• First credit typically within 30-60 days of sanction — usually back-credited from the month of application (UP, MH, KA) or month of sanction (state-specific).
• Credit comes through PFMS → DBT to your Aadhaar-seeded account on a fixed date each month (usually 1st-10th); SMS alert from VK-DBT.

• Login to state portal → “Pension Status” → see month-wise credit history. If a month is missing, check the passbook first; raise grievance on the portal if genuinely missed.
• Annual Jeevan Pramaan required from age 80+: submit at bank / Anganwadi / Jeevan Pramaan app — failure stops pension.

+-----------------------------------+--------------------------------------+
| IGNOAPS central — age 60-79       | ₹200 / month                         |
+-----------------------------------+--------------------------------------+
| IGNOAPS central — age 80+         | ₹500 / month                         |
+-----------------------------------+--------------------------------------+
| UP top-up (combined ₹1,000)       | ₹500-₹800 state share                |
+-----------------------------------+--------------------------------------+
| MH Sanjay Gandhi Niradhar         | ₹1,500 / month                       |
+-----------------------------------+--------------------------------------+
| KA Sandhya Suraksha               | ₹1,200 / month                       |
+-----------------------------------+--------------------------------------+
| TN Indira Gandhi Pension          | ₹1,500 / month                       |
+-----------------------------------+--------------------------------------+
| AP YSR Pension Kanuka             | ₹3,000 / month (60+); ₹3,500 (65+)   |
+-----------------------------------+--------------------------------------+
| Telangana Aasara                  | ₹3,016 / month                       |
+-----------------------------------+--------------------------------------+
| Delhi Old Age Pension             | ₹2,500 / month (60-69); ₹3,000 (70+) |
+-----------------------------------+--------------------------------------+
| Application fee (online or BDO)   | NIL — application is free            |
+-----------------------------------+--------------------------------------+
| CSC operator charge (if used)     | ₹30-50 (regulated, ask for receipt)  |
+-----------------------------------+--------------------------------------+
| Income certificate (Tehsildar)    | ₹10-30 (state-set; free in some)     |
+-----------------------------------+--------------------------------------+
| Field verification SLA            | 30 days (often 30-60 in practice)    |
+-----------------------------------+--------------------------------------+
| Sanction → first credit           | 30-60 days after verification        |
+-----------------------------------+--------------------------------------+
| RTI to DSWO / SDM if stuck        | ₹10 by IPO. BPL = free.              |
+-----------------------------------+--------------------------------------+

• SECC 2011 list does not include your name — happens often if the household head was different in 2011 or you were a daughter-in-law not yet married into the family. Solution: apply under the state-only scheme using an income certificate from the Tehsildar.
• Age proof unclear / disputed — no birth certificate, voter ID DOB looks doctored, school cert lost. Solution: get an age estimation certificate from the Medical Officer at the nearest CHC (free; takes one visit).
• Aadhaar-bank not seeded in NPCI mapper — pension goes to an old, inoperative account or bounces back to the treasury. This is Ramesh's case in reverse — central came (different routing), state didn't (state portion goes through state PFMS which checks NPCI separately in some states).
• Multiple bank accounts under same Aadhaar — DBT goes to the most recent seeded one, which may not be the one you wrote on the form. Solution: visit the bank you want pension to land in and re-seed.
• Already drawing another pension (EPF Pension, family pension) — you become ineligible for IGNOAPS. The system catches this in the cross-check with EPFO database. State scheme may still allow it; check.
• State budget release pending at the district treasury — delays the state portion by one or two quarters. Central portion usually flows on time.
• Field verification not done within SLA because the lekhpal is on transfer / extra duty / election work. The application sits in “pending verification” indefinitely.
• Aadhaar name mismatch with the bank account name — common when the bank account opened in initials and Aadhaar has full name expanded. Visit branch with Aadhaar to fix.
• Mobile number not updated in Aadhaar — OTP-based portal application fails. Update at any Aadhaar Seva Kendra (₹50, 7-day SLA).
• Jeevan Pramaan not submitted in November (for 80+ beneficiaries) — pension stops in December until submitted.

• Take your registration number + acknowledgement printout + Aadhaar + bank passbook.
• Ask for the dealing clerk by name — they know your file's status.
• Get any oral promise written into the visitor register.

• UP — 1076 (24×7). KA — 1902 (Sakala). MH — 1800-22-0011 (Aaple Sarkar). TN — 1100. AP — 1902 (Spandana). TG — 1100. Delhi — 1031. Kerala — 1077.
• Quote your registration number; ticket gets routed to the BDO/SDM with a 30-day SLA.

• https://pgportal.gov.in → “Department / Ministry” → choose Ministry of Rural Development → sub-category NSAP.
• For state-only schemes, choose your state's grievance department.
• Higher visibility — gets routed to a Joint Secretary level for IGNOAPS issues.

• Most districts hold a weekly grievance darbar (“Janata Darshan” / “Janasunwai” / “Spandana”) — Mondays in many states.
• Submit a one-page complaint with all earlier ticket numbers.
• Useful when a state-level budget release is the issue.

The District Social Welfare Officer (DSWO), the Tehsildar, the SDM and the Block Development Officer are all public authorities under §2(h) of the RTI Act, 2005. The PIO at the district level holds your file.

RTI helps here when:

• Your sanction order has been issued but no money has come for 2+ months — RTI to PIO DSWO asking for “month-wise credit transfer status from sanction date till date and reason for non-credit”. Forces a written reason within 30 days. (This is what worked for Ramesh.)
• Your application has been “pending verification” for more than 60 days — RTI to PIO BDO asking for the dealing officer's name, date of file movement, and current location of file.
• You are listed in SECC 2011 but the system says “not BPL” — RTI to PIO BDO asking for a certified copy of your SECC 2011 entry and the deprivation indicators recorded.
• Your application has been rejected without reason — RTI to PIO DSWO asking for “certified copy of the rejection order and the reasons recorded”.
• The state portion is missing while the central portion is credited — RTI to PIO at the state-portion sanctioning office (DSWO or Mandal Welfare Officer) asking for the PFMS transaction ID and batch release date.
• For not-credited cases (similar mechanism to widow pension): see the dedicated guide RTI for widow pension not credited — copy-ready template — the language and routing apply identically to old age pension non-credit cases.

RTI does NOT help here when:

• You applied last week and the verification hasn't happened yet — wait the 30-day SLA. PIOs reply “claim is under processing” to premature RTIs.
• You disagree with the rate of pension — central rates (₹200/₹500) are set by Cabinet; state rates by state Cabinet. Not appealable through RTI.
• You want the rules to change — that's a representation to the Minister, not an RTI.
• Your application was rejected because you draw another government pension — that's a substantive eligibility bar, not an information gap. RTI will only confirm the rejection reason; it can't reverse it.
• For the central portion, you live in a state where IGNOAPS has been subsumed into a state scheme paid 100% by the state — there's no separate central payment to query.

Q. My voter ID shows year of birth as 1962 (so 64) but I'm actually 67. The lekhpal won't accept my application. What now?
Get a free age estimation certificate from the Medical Officer at the nearest Community Health Centre (CHC). Submit it with the application. The lekhpal cannot reject solely on voter-ID-vs-actual-age dispute when a Medical Officer's certificate is on file.

Q. My husband and I are both above 60 with no income. Can both of us draw old age pension?
Yes. Old age pension is per individual. Both apply separately, each with own Aadhaar. Some states (e.g., MH Shravan Bal) cap the household at one pension — read your state's rules.

Q. I draw EPF Pension of ₹1,800/month. Can I also get IGNOAPS?
No for IGNOAPS — drawing any other government/EPF pension disqualifies you. Some state schemes still allow it if your other pension is below a threshold; check your state.

Q. I moved from UP to Karnataka to live with my son. Will UP pension continue?
No — pension is governed by the state in which you ordinarily reside. Stop the UP pension (intimate the BDO) and apply fresh in Karnataka under Sandhya Suraksha. Don't draw both — recovery + blacklisting if caught.

Q. The portal says “sanction issued” but the bank passbook is empty for 3 months. What should I do?
Check Aadhaar seeding with the bank first (SMS to 567678). If seeded but money still not coming, raise a grievance on the state portal, then CM Helpline, then RTI to PIO DSWO asking for the PFMS transaction ID for each missing month.

Q. The lekhpal is asking for ₹500 to “process” my file. Is this legal?
No — illegal. Application and verification are completely free. Refuse politely; complain to the Tehsildar / SDM in writing with date of demand — and to State Vigilance / Lokayukta if amount is paid.

Q. I am 82 and bedridden. Who submits my Jeevan Pramaan certificate?
The Anganwadi worker or Bank Mitra can come home with a fingerprint device (Jeevan Pramaan app). SBI/BoB/PNB/Canara offer doorstep banking for senior citizens — call the branch.

Q. My pension stopped suddenly after 14 months. Why?
Most likely: (a) Aadhaar status changed in NPCI mapper because you updated bank elsewhere; (b) annual Jeevan Pramaan was missed; © “ghost beneficiary” audit clean-up. RTI to PIO DSWO asking “reason for stop-payment from [date]” forces a written explanation in 30 days.

• RTI for widow pension not credited — copy-ready template (works for old age pension too)
• RTI in 12 simple steps — for first-time filers
• All Indian government helplines — one master directory
• RTI forms + state-wise fee chart
• All "money & schemes" RTI guides

Last reviewed: 26 April 2026 by RTI Wiki editorial team. State pension amounts are revised periodically — verify current rates on your state's Social Welfare Department portal or write to admin@bighelpers.in if you spot a stale figure.