National Social Assistance Programme

What is the National Social Assistance Programme?

The National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) is a centrally sponsored scheme launched on 15 August 1995. It delivers cash and social security assistance to those living below the poverty line (BPL) in rural and urban regions. These efforts enable the NSAP to extend economic support, family support and food security to the weaker parts of society.

NSAP currently operates through five key sub-schemes:

• Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS)
• Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme (IGNWPS)
• Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme (IGNDPS)
• National Family Benefit Scheme (NFBS)
• Annapurna Scheme

The NSAP covers almost 2.2 crore elderly beneficiaries under the old age pension plan, 67 lakh widows under the widow pension scheme. Over 8.33 lakh persons under the disability pension scheme, 3.5 lakh families under the family benefit scheme and 8.31 lakh beneficiaries under the Annapurna plan.

Features of Schemes Under NSAP

The schemes under the NSAP are designed to ensure transparent beneficiary identification, timely benefit delivery, effective monitoring, and accountable implementation. Some of the important features are below:

• Beneficiary Identification: Gram Panchayats and Municipalities play a crucial role in identifying eligible beneficiaries under various NSAP schemes. The policy supports proactive identification so that all eligible folks receive assistance.
• Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT): Nearly 94% of the benefits are disbursed through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) by crediting straight into the beneficiarys bank or post office savings account.
• Monitoring and Administration: States and Union Territories may implement NSAP through any government department of their choice. Each State shall nominate a Nodal Secretary to assist in implementation and cooperate with the concerned Departments.
• Transparent and Citizen-Friendly Processes: The programme supports a transparent process for the application, approval, appeal and review of benefits. The procedures are easy and accessible to the beneficiaries.
• Regular Benefit Disbursement: NSAP provides for prompt monthly disbursement of pension and benefits. Benefits are provided at or near the door of the beneficiary if appropriate for further convenience.
• Grievance Redressal and Convergence: The plan has an inbuilt grievance redressal system for addressing the issues of the beneficiaries. It also supports convergence with other welfare schemes to enhance total social security coverage.

Key Sub-Schemes of the NSAP

The NSAP aims to give social security and financial help through five major components to help the vulnerable parts of society.

1. Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS)

   Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS) provides financial assistance to aged persons of BPL households. The beneficiaries are entitled to a central help of ₹200 per month and those in the age group of 80 years and above get ₹500 per month.

   States and Union Territories are encouraged to provide additional top-up support over and above the central contribution, with top-ups varying from ₹50 to ₹5,700 per month at present. As a result, pensioners in many States and UTs receive an average monthly pension of around ₹1,100.

2. Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme (IGNWPS)

   Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme (IGNWPS) provides financial support on monthly basis to the widows belonging to BPL families. Eligible beneficiaries get ₹300 per month as central support while widows of 80 years and above get ₹500 per month. The scheme is intended to help widows meet their basic living expenditures and increase their financial security.

3. Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme (IGNDPS)

   The Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme (IGNDPS) is a scheme for providing financial assistance to those with severe or multiple impairments of BPL households. Central support is provided to beneficiaries at ₹300 per month. Those above 80 years are given ₹500 per month. The initiative aims to offer a basic income and to promote the financial security of those with a disability.

4. National Family Benefit Scheme (NFBS)

   The National Family Benefit Scheme (NFBS) provides a one-time cash support to BPL families on the death of the principal breadwinner. One-time support of ₹20,000 is given to eligible households to help them overcome immediate financial difficulties arising out of loss of income.

5. Annapurna Scheme

   The Annapurna Scheme promotes food security among vulnerable senior citizens who are eligible for IGNOAPS but do not receive an old-age pension. Under the scheme, beneficiaries receive 10 kg of food grains free of cost every month.

Eligibility Criteria and Scale of Assistance Under NSAP

The NSAP provides cash assistance and food security benefits to the eligible beneficiaries of BPL households. The eligibility criteria and the support given under various schemes are as follows:

How to Apply for the Schemes Under NSAP?

You can apply for National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) schemes through the official NSAP application channels such as Gram Panchayats, Municipalities, district social welfare offices and other government recognised platforms. One of the digital modes via which qualifying NSAP plans can be applied is through the UMANG app.

Apply Through the UMANG App

• Access UMANG Portal: Visit the official NSAP services portal of UMANG or download the UMANG mobile app.
• Register or Log In: New users must register with their mobile number and OTP. Existing users can login with their registered phone number, OTP, MPIN or DigiLocker credentials.
• Search NSAP Services: After login go to the search box and find “NSAP” or “National Social Assistance Programme” and open the service.
• Choose the Required Scheme: Select the NSAP scheme which fits your eligibility from the schemes IGNOAPS, IGNWPS, IGNDPS, NFBS or Annapurna.
• Enter Necessary Details: Fill the details as necessary in the application form including the personal details, Aadhaar details and bank account details wherever required.
• Upload Supporting Document: Upload the required documents and photograph as per the specified scheme.
• Application Submission and Review: Go over all the details specified in the application form and submit the application form online for further processing and verification.
• Check Application Status: Applicants can login onto UMANG at any point of time to check the status of application and see the details of beneficiary payment wherever available.

Key Takeaways

The NSAP is a centrally sponsored scheme to provide social security to the aged persons, widows, disabled persons and vulnerable families living BPL. Launched in 1995, the programme currently benefits over 3.09 crore people through five welfare schemes. The assistance is mostly provided through DBT although States and Union Territories may grant additional top-up benefits. It is noteworthy that over 2.5 crore NSAP beneficiaries have been linked with Aadhaar, which has helped in ensuring transparent, efficient and direct transfer of benefits.