What this scheme offers
Old age, widowhood or a serious disability can each leave a household without the steady income it used to have, and Puducherry's pension programme is built to cover all three situations under one consistent structure: a flat ₹2,000 a month, whether the beneficiary qualifies through the Old Age Pension stream (60 and above), the Widow Pension stream, or the Disability Pension stream (40% or more certified disability). It runs across all four of the UT's geographically separate regions — Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam — and reaches around 1.91 lakh beneficiaries, with the government periodically expanding coverage further. CM N. Rangasamy has campaigned on having raised old-age pensions to as much as ₹4,000 for some beneficiaries, a figure that hasn't been consistently corroborated across sources, so confirm your exact rate with the department rather than assuming either number applies to your case.
Who is eligible
- Resident of Puducherry (any of the four regions: Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe, Yanam).
- Annual family income below ₹75,000.
- Aged 60+ (Old Age Pension), widowed (Widow Pension), or certified with 40%+ disability (Disability Pension).
Documents required
- Aadhaar card
- Age proof / widow certificate / disability certificate, as applicable
- Income certificate
- Bank account details (Aadhaar-linked)
How to apply
- Apply through your local Social Welfare Department office or Revenue office.
- Submit category-specific proof (age, widow status, or disability certificate) along with income certificate.
- Applications are verified locally against the income and category criteria.
- Once approved, ₹2,000/month is credited via DBT to your Aadhaar-linked bank account.
- Confirm with the department whether your category currently qualifies for a higher rate, given reported inconsistencies in figures.