Lucknow, Aug 12 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh has achieved the target of extending old-age pension support to 61 lakh beneficiaries in the first quarter 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 Rs 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 (SNA) 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 Rs 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 Rs 1,879 crore.

By 2019-20, the numbers rose to 47.99 lakh (Rs 2,698 crore), and in 2020-21 to 51.24 lakh (Rs 3,694 crore).

The upward trend continued with 51.92 lakh (Rs 4,278 crore) beneficiaries in 2021-22, 54.97 lakh (Rs 6,083 crore) in 2022-23, and 55.68 lakh (Rs 6,464 crore) 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 Rs 56,460 in urban areas and Rs 46,080 in rural areas, the statement said. PTI NAV ARI

Old-age pension expansion increases beneficiary target, mandates Aadhaar-linked digital disbursement, and sets income and verification eligibility rules. Uttar Pradesh expanded its old-age pension scheme by raising the beneficiary target after meeting its annual goal and including eligible applicants beyond that target. Monthly pensions are provided to persons aged 60 and above. Distribution has been moved to a single nodal account (SNA) system with Aadhaar-linked transfers to remove intermediaries, speed payments, and improve audits and fund-tracking. Eligibility is subject to age and specified annual income limits, with rural verification by block development officers and urban verification by sub-district magistrates, and applications accepted online.