NSAP Gets a New Name and a Bigger Disability Pension: What Changes for 3.2 Crore Beneficiaries

The Union Cabinet has given India’s National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) a new name and five more years of funding. On 14 October 2026, the Cabinet approved the programme’s continuation from 2026-27 to 2030-31 with a total outlay of Rs 53,428 crore. NSAP will now be known as Pradhan Mantri Samajik Sahayata Yojana (प्रधानमंत्री सामाजिक सहायता योजना), and every scheme under it gets a new name too.

The decision matters to older people, widows, persons with disabilities and families facing hardship. The old-age pension, widow pension and family benefit schemes continue in their existing form, while the disability pension gets a higher monthly amount and wider eligibility. Here is what beneficiaries and their families need to know as of 17 October 2026.

Pradhan Mantri Samajik Sahayata Yojana at a glance

The continuation was proposed by the Department of Rural Development and approved by the Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister.

Full central funding is meant to ensure that assistance is uniformly available to beneficiaries in every State and Union Territory. For the official text, read the Press Information Bureau release on the Cabinet decision. The same decision is published on the Prime Minister’s Office website.

NSAP renamed: old names vs new names

The overall programme and all four of its component schemes now carry the Pradhan Mantri prefix. Each scheme still serves the same group of people.

A new name does not mean every rule has changed. The Cabinet decision revises only the disability pension; the other three schemes continue in their existing form.

What changed in the disability pension?

The Pradhan Mantri Divyangjan Pension Yojana is the only component with changes to its amounts and eligibility. There are three changes.

New monthly disability pension amounts

The revised monthly assistance depends on the beneficiary’s age:

These are the central amounts announced by the Cabinet. The government has said that guidelines on the revised eligibility, number of beneficiaries and rate of assistance will be issued and implemented within three months, so families should not assume the announcement alone settles every administrative detail.

Benchmark disability reduced from 80% to 40%

The disability threshold for the pension has been lowered from 80% to 40% benchmark disability. Benchmark disability means a certified disability at or above the minimum percentage set by law. This change can bring in people whose certified disability meets the new threshold but fell short of the earlier one.

Meeting the percentage, however, is not an automatic guarantee of approval. Applicants will still need to satisfy the other eligibility rules set out in the official guidelines once they are issued.

Minimum age now “since birth”

The minimum age for the disability pension has been revised to “since birth”, so the earlier minimum-age restriction no longer applies. This is especially relevant to families caring for children with disabilities, who should keep the child’s disability documents ready and ask their local office how the new rule will work in practice.

What stays the same?

The renaming is not a redesign of every scheme. The Cabinet decision says the old-age, widow and family benefit schemes continue in their existing form:

• Old-age pension: Now called Pradhan Mantri Vridhavastha Pension Yojana; it continues in its existing form.
• Widow pension: Now called Pradhan Mantri Vidhawa Pension Yojana; it continues in its existing form.
• Family benefit: The National Family Benefit Scheme becomes Pradhan Mantri Parivar Labh Yojana and continues in its existing form.
• Overall programme: The renewed programme will continue for five years, with the announced total outlay of Rs 53,428 crore.
• Central funding: The programme continues to provide 100% central assistance.

The Cabinet announcement gives no revised monthly amounts for the old-age pension, widow pension or family benefit scheme. Beneficiaries should not assume their assistance has gone up or down just because the scheme names have changed.

Why the change? The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016

NSAP was launched on 15 August 1995 to help poor households, as part of the Central Government’s responsibility under the Directive Principles of State Policy in Article 41 of the Constitution. The disability pension changes now being made follow from the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.

What does the 40% benchmark mean?

The Act links eligibility to benchmark disability of 40%. By replacing the earlier 80% requirement with 40%, the pension criteria are brought in line with the Act. A person who could not meet the 80% threshold may therefore want to reassess their eligibility once the official guidelines explain how the new rule will be applied.

Why must disability assistance be higher?

The Act also requires disability assistance to be at least 25% higher than assistance under similar schemes for other categories, recognising the extra support needs that come with disability. This is a rule about how disability assistance compares with other schemes; it does not mean every beneficiary will receive an extra payment on top of the announced pension.

What should beneficiaries and families do now?

The Cabinet has set out the broad changes, but the detailed guidelines are still to come. Until then, the sensible steps are to organise your documents and get information from the right local office, without assuming that any particular application process has been announced.

Keep important documents ready

• Aadhaar: Keep the beneficiary’s Aadhaar details and other identity papers handy.
• Bank documents: Keep bank account details and supporting papers ready.
• Disability certificate: Anyone seeking the disability pension should keep their disability certificate available.
• UDID papers: Keep the Unique Disability ID (UDID) card or related papers, where applicable.
• Existing pension records: Current beneficiaries should keep their pension documents together for reference.

These are general preparation suggestions, not a list of mandatory documents. The official guidelines and the relevant authority will decide what is required in each case.

Contact the appropriate government office

For questions about eligibility, an existing pension or the revised disability criteria, contact your block office, municipal office or district social welfare office. Families of children with disabilities should ask specifically how eligibility from birth will be applied, and people whose certified disability lies between 40% and 80% can ask how the new threshold affects them.

Watch for the new guidelines

The guidelines, due to be issued and implemented within three months, will set out the operational details: application requirements, verification steps and procedures that the Cabinet announcement does not cover. Until they are published, rely on official government communications rather than unverified claims about automatic approval, new deadlines or compulsory procedures.

How state pensions can add to central support

The central programme provides 100% central assistance across all States and Union Territories. States may also provide their own additional pension amount under their own schemes and rules, so the total a beneficiary receives can depend on both the central assistance and any state addition. State top-ups are not the same everywhere; confirm the rules with your state government or local office.

For state pension details and a related central registration, see these guides:

• Haryana Old Age Samman Bhatta and old-age pension guide for the state’s old-age pension scheme.
• Ganga Swarupa Yojana Gujarat widow pension guide for widow pension support in Gujarat.
• e-Shram Card guide: a separate central registration for unorganised workers, not a pension scheme.

Remember that a state scheme’s rules are separate from the central rules, so check the eligibility conditions of each scheme on its own.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the new name of the National Social Assistance Programme?

The National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) has been renamed Pradhan Mantri Samajik Sahayata Yojana. The Union Cabinet approved its continuation for five years, from 2026-27 to 2030-31, with a total outlay of Rs 53,428 crore.

What is the revised disability pension under the new scheme?

Rs 375 per month for eligible beneficiaries aged 0–79 years and Rs 625 per month for those aged 80 and above. The eligibility threshold is now 40% benchmark disability, and the minimum age is now “since birth”.

Have the old-age and widow pension amounts changed?

The Cabinet decision says the old-age pension, widow pension and family benefit schemes will continue in their existing form, and it does not announce revised amounts for them. The new names do not, by themselves, change the assistance amounts.

Can a person with 40% benchmark disability qualify for the disability pension?

The threshold is now 40% benchmark disability instead of 80%. Applicants must still meet the other eligibility conditions, and the official guidelines will explain how the revised criteria are implemented.

When will the detailed disability pension guidelines be issued?

The government has said the guidelines on eligibility, number of beneficiaries and the disability pension rate will be issued and implemented within three months. In the meantime, contact your block, municipal or district social welfare office for official information.

Disclaimer

This article is based on the Union Cabinet decision announced on 14 October 2026. Final implementation details depend on the official guidelines, so beneficiaries should confirm eligibility and procedures with their state government or the appropriate local office. Jansarkariyojna.com is an independent information website and is not affiliated with any government department.