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Delhi govt study finds gaps in senior citizen pension scheme
New Delhi: Nearly 13,000 beneficiaries of the senior citizen pension scheme had incomplete residential addresses, and 48 of them had no address, according to findings from an evaluation study conducted by the Delhi government
New Delhi: Nearly 13,000 beneficiaries of the senior citizen pension scheme had incomplete residential addresses, and 48 of them had no address, according to findings from an evaluation study conducted by the Delhi government.
Under the scheme, beneficiaries aged between 60 and 69 years receive a monthly pension of ₹2,000, while those aged 70 and above receive ₹2,500 per month. There are around 4,36,000 beneficiaries.
An official on Sunday said the Delhi government hired a third-party agency to conduct an evaluation study of the scheme to understand how it has improved the quality of life of the elderly and how they are utilising the financial aid. The agency officials visited 2,500 randomly selected households to assess the scheme’s impact. During the exercise, around 40,000 duplicate addresses were found. To be sure, a duplicate address essentially doesn’t mean fake addresses, but rather two or more people having the same address.
The study found that more than half of the 2,500 beneficiaries use the monthly pension primarily for food, while nearly one-third spend it on medical expenses.
Overall, 84% of those said the pension helps them meet essential household needs.
The assessment found that 59% of beneficiaries rely on the pension as their primary source of income. Among women beneficiaries, the figure rises to 70%, highlighting the scheme’s importance in providing financial security to elderly women.
The survey showed that 72% of beneficiaries receive the monthly pension of ₹2,500 regularly.
Officials said elderly beneficiaries depend on cyber cafés to complete online application and documentation processes, underlining the need for easier digital access. They also noted that the approval process for new pension applications can take up to six months, an issue flagged during the study.
Meanwhile, the government’s social welfare department has started a verification exercise for all senior citizen pension beneficiaries.
