Government schemes for senior citizens in India help with four things: earning safe interest on savings, getting a small monthly pension if the person is poor, free or low-cost hospital treatment, and practical support such as assistive devices and a helpline. The most used schemes are the Senior Citizens Savings Scheme, the Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme, the Ayushman Vay Vandana card for those aged 70 and above, and the Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana.
Below, each scheme has who can join, what it gives and where to apply. One popular option, the Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana (PMVVY), has been closed to new buyers since 31 March 2023, so ignore old articles recommending it. For other benefit schemes, visit our schemes section .
Central government schemes for senior citizens: overview
| Scheme | Type | Who can use it | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senior Citizens Savings Scheme (SCSS) | Savings with quarterly interest | Age 60+, and some early retirees | Post office or authorised bank |
| Post Office Monthly Income Scheme (POMIS) | Savings with monthly interest | Any adult, popular with retirees | Post office |
| IGNOAPS (NSAP) | Monthly old age pension | Age 60+ in BPL households | Gram panchayat, block or municipal office |
| Ayushman Vay Vandana card | Hospital cover up to Rs 5 lakh a year | Everyone aged 70+, any income | beneficiary.nha.gov.in or Ayushman app |
| Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana | Free assistive devices | Seniors in BPL families or with low monthly income | Assessment camps by the district and ALIMCO |
| Atal Pension Yojana | Guaranteed pension from 60 | Only people aged 18 to 40 can join | Bank or post office |
Government investment schemes for senior citizens
Senior Citizens Savings Scheme (SCSS)
- Who can open: anyone aged 60 or above. Retired civilian employees aged 55 to 60 and retired defence personnel aged 50 to 60 can also open it, subject to conditions such as investing within a set time of receiving retirement benefits.
- Deposit: minimum Rs 1,000 and maximum Rs 30 lakh per individual across all SCSS accounts.
- Tenure: 5 years, which can be extended by 3 years.
- Interest: paid every quarter into your savings account. The rate is fixed by the government each quarter and stays the same for your deposit once opened. Check the current rate on the India Post or National Savings Institute website.
- Tax: deposits qualify under Section 80C in the old tax regime; the interest is taxable.
- Early closure: allowed with a deduction, as per the scheme rules.
Post Office Monthly Income Scheme
POMIS pays interest every month for five years. The maximum deposit is Rs 9 lakh in a single account and Rs 15 lakh in a joint account. Many retirees use it together with SCSS to get a regular monthly amount.
PMVVY: closed for new buyers
PMVVY was a pension plan run by LIC for people aged 60 and above. It stopped accepting new subscribers after 31 March 2023. People who bought it before then continue to get their pension for the full 10-year term.
Old age pension under NSAP
The National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP), run by the Ministry of Rural Development, includes the Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS). The central share is Rs 200 a month for people aged 60 to 79 and Rs 500 a month for those aged 80 and above, for persons in below-poverty-line households. Every state adds its own amount on top, so the total paid varies widely from state to state. NSAP also has pension schemes for widows and persons with severe disabilities.
How to apply: submit the form with age proof, BPL proof, Aadhaar and bank details at the gram panchayat, block office or urban local body. In Maharashtra, for example, central old age pension is paid along with the state's Shravanbal Seva Rajya Nivruttivetan Yojana, applied for through the tehsil or Sanjay Gandhi Niradhar scheme office. Check the beneficiary status on the NSAP portal.
Health schemes for people above 60 and 70
Every person aged 70 or above can get the Ayushman Vay Vandana card, which gives cashless treatment of up to Rs 5 lakh a year at empanelled hospitals, whatever the income. Families already covered under PM-JAY get this as an extra top-up for their elders. Our Ayushman Bharat guide has the step-by-step card process.
Retired central government employees and their dependants can use CGHS in cities where it operates. Pension and CGHS updates for them are on our news page for central pensioners .
Support services and legal rights
- Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana: free aids such as walking sticks, hearing aids, spectacles, wheelchairs and dentures for seniors from BPL families or with a monthly income within the scheme limit. Devices are given at assessment camps organised with the district administration.
- Elder Line 14567: a national helpline for information on pensions, legal help, health, abuse and emotional support.
- Maintenance law: under the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007, a senior citizen who cannot maintain themselves can apply to the Maintenance Tribunal (usually at the SDM office) for a monthly maintenance order against children or relatives, up to a ceiling set in the law.
- Atal Vayo Abhyuday Yojana: the Ministry of Social Justice umbrella scheme that funds old age homes, day care and mobile medicare units run by NGOs and states.
Planning ahead: schemes to join before 60
Atal Pension Yojana is for people aged 18 to 40 who do not pay income tax. It gives a guaranteed pension of Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000 a month from age 60, depending on the amount chosen and the age of joining. After the subscriber's death, the spouse gets the same pension, and after both, the nominee gets the corpus. Small farmers have a similar option in PM Kisan Maandhan Yojana. Cheap life and accident cover for the working years is explained in our page on government insurance schemes .
Documents seniors should keep ready
- Aadhaar with an active mobile number
- Age proof (birth certificate, school certificate, PAN or voter ID)
- Bank passbook of an Aadhaar-seeded account
- PAN card for deposits above the limit set by the bank or post office
- BPL or income certificate for pension and Vayoshri
- Pension payment order or retirement papers, where relevant
Common problems
- Old age pension stopped: many states require an annual life certificate or physical verification. Ask the block or municipal office.
- Bank refuses to open SCSS: only authorised banks offer it. Try the post office or a large public sector bank.
- Calls offering higher "government" returns: genuine small savings are opened only at post offices or banks. Do not transfer money on a phone call.
Women aged 60 and above may also get state support listed in our schemes for women . HindiScope is not an official site; confirm current rules on indiapost.gov.in or nsap.nic.in.