Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has increased the annual income ceiling for beneficiaries of various Social Security Pension Schemes from ₹32,000 to ₹1.20 lakh, providing relief to thousands of eligible pensioners.
Revenue Minister G. Parameshwar said an order has been issued to continue the pension benefits of eligible beneficiaries who fall within the revised income limit.
The ₹32,000 annual income ceiling applied to schemes covering senior citizens, widows and persons with disabilities, among others. The minister said the low income limit had resulted in many eligible people being excluded from pension benefits.
After beneficiary and family data were integrated, 23,14,544 beneficiaries were identified as requiring verification. Physical verification was subsequently carried out through the ‘Samyojan’ mobile application.
Following the verification process, pensions of 18,06,032 people were temporarily suspended for reasons including failure to submit required documents, absence from the registered address and non-submission of income certificates.
The government has now decided to restore pensions for eligible beneficiaries whose annual income is above ₹32,000 but below ₹1.20 lakh, subject to verification and other applicable conditions, Parameshwar said.
