The Himachal Pradesh government has amended its social security pension rules to ensure timely disbursement, while significantly expanding coverage over the past three years. A total of 99,799 new pension cases have been approved during this period, raising the number of beneficiaries in the state to 8,41,917.
The beneficiaries include senior citizens, widows, single women and persons with disabilities under various schemes. Among them, 1,04,740 receive the Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension, while 5,04,253 are covered under the State Old Age Pension scheme. Additionally, 25,414 beneficiaries receive the Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension and 1,26,808 women are covered under widow, destitute and single woman pensions.
Further, 1,340 beneficiaries receive the Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension, and 78,291 are covered under the Disability Relief Allowance.
Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that 41,799 new cases were approved in 2023–24, followed by 41,012 in 2024–25 and 16,988 in 2025–26. He added that recent amendments to pension rules aim to streamline disbursement and improve efficiency.
Reaffirming the government’s focus on welfare, the Chief Minister said that 2,67,040 women up to 69 years of age are receiving a monthly pension of Rs. 1,500. He noted that the state currently has over 5 lakh old-age pensioners, along with 1,26,808 widows, destitute and single women, 78,291 disability relief beneficiaries, 1,021 recipients of leprosy rehabilitation allowance, and 50 transgender pensioners.
The government has also decided to increase the pension for persons with 100 percent disability from Rs. 1,700 to Rs. 3,000 per month, benefiting around 7,000 individuals.
Highlighting key reforms, the Chief Minister said the state has removed the income ceiling and the requirement of gram sabha approval for widowed, deserted and single women, as well as for persons with 40–69 percent disability. This move is expected to simplify access and reduce procedural hurdles, especially for vulnerable groups.
He added that the government is focusing on transparent governance, plugging leakages and directing additional resources towards welfare schemes to support the most vulnerable sections of society.
Nurturing Creativity – Keekli Charitable Trust, Shimla
