Uttar Pradesh: 1.80 Lakh Dead and Ineligible Claimed Old-Age Pension; ₹17,000 Crore Credited to Ineligible Farmers

In Uttar Pradesh, a significant number of ineligible beneficiaries have once again received payments under the Old-Age Pension Scheme and the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme. Despite the funds being transferred directly into beneficiaries' bank accounts via the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system, irregularities and fraud have surfaced. As per the state government’s investigation, around 1.80 lakh ineligible people have been identified who were receiving the old-age pension. These include deceased individuals, people below the eligible age, and those with income exceeding the prescribed limits. Similarly, 12,000 couples were found to be jointly claiming benefits under the PM-Kisan scheme, while funds were disbursed to the accounts of over 5,000 deceased farmers.

These discrepancies were exposed through surveys conducted by the Social Welfare and Agriculture Departments. As a result, the names of ineligible individuals are now being removed from the beneficiary lists of both schemes. Furthermore, recovery will be initiated from those who wrongly received the pension or PM-Kisan benefits.

Govt to Recover Fraudulent Claims; Criteria for Pension Strictly Enforced
According to State Minister for Social Welfare, Asim Arun, both the Central and State governments are committed to providing financial aid to the underprivileged through the Old-Age Pension and PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi schemes. In UP, senior citizens aged 60 years and above receive ₹1,000 per month as pension. Eligibility requires a maximum annual family income of ₹46,080 in rural areas and ₹56,040 in urban areas. Around 67 lakh elderly beneficiaries currently receive this pension. Payments are made quarterly through DBT to ensure transparency and avoid middlemen.

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A recent survey uncovered that hundreds of beneficiaries over 80 years of age had already passed away, yet pensions were still being credited to their bank accounts. The department will now recover funds from the accounts of deceased beneficiaries, and action will be taken against families who knowingly used these funds.

Moreover, many pension recipients were found to be income tax payers, thereby making them ineligible. Recovery proceedings are also planned for these individuals.

Pension Budget Pegged at ₹8,000 Crore; Regular Verification Introduced
Minister Asim Arun stated that the old-age pension scheme has a budget of ₹8,000 crore, covering 67 lakh elderly individuals, with quarterly payments of ₹3,000 made at once.

The Director of Social Welfare, Kumar Prashant, led the recent survey that identified 1.80 lakh ineligible individuals. Their names have been removed from the scheme, and the department has decided that each disbursal cycle will be preceded by a verification survey to ensure that no fraudulent claims are made.

When asked how much money was wrongly transferred to the 1.80 lakh ineligible accounts, Asim Arun responded that the exact amount is being determined and will be disclosed soon.

Similar Irregularities Detected in PM-Kisan Scheme
Just like the pension scheme, the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi has also seen widespread misuse in Uttar Pradesh. Internal audits have revealed that 12,000 husband-wife pairs were both receiving the benefit, which violates the scheme’s policy of one beneficiary per family. Furthermore, more than 5,000 deceased farmers continued to receive payments in their bank accounts.

Agriculture Minister Surya Kumar Shahi said strict action is being taken. In Ballia district alone, a large number of couples were found to have received the benefit illegally. The mistake is now being rectified, and going forward, only one member per family will be eligible. The PM-Kisan beneficiary list is being updated to remove the names of deceased farmers.

As per the minister, around 2.25 crore farmers in UP currently benefit from the PM-Kisan scheme, which provides ₹6,000 per year in three equal installments to eligible farmers.