By IANS,
New Delhi: In a move to benefit poor senior citizens, the government Thursday lowered the eligible age of the pensioners from 65 to 60 years. It also increased pensions for those 80 and above from Rs.200 to Rs.500, an official statement said.
The cabinet, at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, decided to revise norms on the age limit of pensioners under the Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS), which aims to provide relief to aged citizens reeling under rising inflation.
“It is estimated that lowering of the age limit would benefit about an additional 72.32 lakh people in the age group of 60-64 years, living below the poverty line,” the statement said.
Apart from this 26.49 lakh poor people above the age of 80 years will become eligible to receive enhanced central assistance at Rs.500 per month.
At present 169 lakh people above the age of 65 years and living below poverty line are receiving central assistance under IGNOAPS.
The revised norms would be applicable with effect from April 1, 2001.
“As a result of change in the eligibility criteria for receiving old age pension, eligibility criteria for widow pension under Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme (IGNWPS) and disability pension under Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme (IGNDPS) will get revised from 40-64 years to 40-59 years and from 18-64 years to 18-59 years respectively,” the statement said.
The government had introduced the old age pension as a major scheme to provide poor senior citizens an income to sustain themselves.