Hyderabad: Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy welcomed the Centre’s Rs.53,428-crore social security package on Wednesday. The Union Cabinet approved a five-year restructuring of the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) from 2026-27 to 2030-31.
The restructured programme will continue as the Pradhan Mantri Samajik Sahayata Yojana. Reddy said the decision reflected the Narendra Modi government’s commitment to supporting vulnerable sections, including senior citizens, widows and persons with disabilities from below-poverty-line families.
The Centre expects the changes to increase the programme’s beneficiaries from three crore to 3.2 crore. A key reform lowers the disability pension eligibility threshold from 80% disability to 40% or more. The government will also increase financial assistance for persons with disabilities by 25%.
Social security package expands disability pension coverage
The revised rules will remove the requirement for eligible persons with disabilities to wait until age 18 for pension benefits. Instead, eligible children can receive assistance from birth, with their parents receiving the support until they turn 18, Reddy said.
Consequently, disability pension beneficiaries are expected to increase from 8.33 lakh to 27.48 lakh. Annual expenditure on disability pensions will rise from Rs.290 crore to Rs.1,268 crore, according to the minister.
The Cabinet has also approved new names for several social assistance schemes. These include the National Old Age Pension Scheme, National Widows’ Pension Scheme, National Pension Scheme for the Disabled and National Family Benefit Scheme.
However, Reddy clarified that renaming the old-age pension, widow pension and family assistance schemes would not change their existing eligibility criteria. The central assistance amounts and beneficiary limits for these schemes will also remain unchanged.
The Centre has earmarked Rs.10,685.60 crore annually for the programme over five years. This allocation will take the total expenditure to Rs.53,428 crore by the end of the period. Meanwhile, the revised disability pension criteria, beneficiary limits and enhanced assistance are expected to take effect within three months.
In Telangana, 7.28 lakh people currently benefit from the Centre’s social security schemes. Reddy expects the number to increase following the latest changes. He added that the Modi government had directly transferred Rs.2,132 crore to beneficiaries in the State over the past 12 years.
Describing the Cabinet decision as a significant step towards strengthening social security, Reddy said the expanded coverage would support vulnerable families. He also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for extending assistance to eligible children with disabilities from birth and bringing more people under the pension programme.