Government Schemes for Senior Citizens in India 2026–27: State-Wise Guide to Pension, Healthcare, Financial Help & Elder Support
Last verified: August 2026
Growing old should not mean living without healthcare, income, safety or dignity.
For an elderly person with little or no income, even ₹1,000 can matter. Medicines, food, rent, electricity, mobility aids and hospital bills can become major expenses.
Fortunately, senior citizens in India may qualify for several different forms of government assistance. The mistake many families make is checking only for an old-age pension.
Depending on age, income, state and circumstances, an elderly person should investigate:
- Old-age pension
- Ayushman Bharat healthcare
- State health schemes
- Free/subsidised assistive devices
- Senior citizen homes
- Mobile medical services
- Food-security benefits
- Legal and maintenance rights
- State welfare schemes
- Senior-citizen helplines
- Employment/productive-engagement opportunities
- Disability benefits where applicable
- Widow pension where applicable
The Government of India's current senior-citizen welfare framework includes the Atal Vayo Abhyuday Yojana (AVYAY), covering senior citizen homes and care services, State Action Plans, Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana, Elderline and other elderly-care initiatives.
The first number every senior citizen should save: 14567
The National Helpline for Senior Citizens — Elderline operates across States and Union Territories.
Phone: 14567
Timing: 8 AM–8 PM, seven days a week
It provides information or guidance relating to healthcare, pensions, government schemes, legal matters, maintenance disputes, shelters and caregivers. It can also support cases involving abuse and homeless elderly people.
This is one of the most useful contacts to put near the top of the article rather than burying it at the end.
1. Ayushman Bharat for everyone aged 70+
This is one of the biggest benefits families should know about.
Under the expanded Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY provisions, all senior citizens aged 70 years or above are eligible regardless of income/economic status, subject to the scheme's enrolment requirements.
Eligible seniors can receive healthcare coverage of up to ₹5 lakh. Aadhaar-based e-KYC is required for enrolment.
So a family should not assume:
My parents aren't poor enough for Ayushman Bharat.
For the 70+ senior-citizen provision, income is not the eligibility test.
2. Old-age pension
Low-income elderly people should investigate both:
Central social-assistance pension + their State/UT pension scheme
Do not assume every elderly person receives the same pension amount.
Eligibility and the total amount received can depend on factors such as:
- Age
- Income
- Poverty/welfare eligibility
- State of residence
- Existing pension
- Other social-security benefits
States can provide their own additional assistance.
Therefore, a person in Telangana may receive a different benefit from an otherwise similar senior citizen in Maharashtra.
3. Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana
Senior citizens struggling with age-related physical difficulties should investigate Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana (RVY).
The programme provides eligible economically weaker senior citizens suffering from age-related disabilities/infirmities with assisted-living devices. The Government reported in 2026 that more than 7.93 lakh eligible senior citizens had received aids and assistive devices under RVY through camp and walk-in modes.
The government's senior-citizen portal also provides information about free assisted-living devices.
This can be particularly useful for poor elderly people who need mobility or other assisted-living support.
4. Senior Citizen Homes and care services
An elderly person who has been abandoned or has no one able to care for them should not automatically assume there is nowhere to turn.
Under the current senior-citizen welfare framework, the Government supports facilities including:
- Senior Citizen Homes
- Continuous Care Homes
- Mobile Medicare Units
- Physiotherapy clinics
- Other elderly-care services
The Government reported in April 2026 that support was being provided to 705 Senior Citizen Homes, along with Continuous Care Homes, Mobile Medicare Units and physiotherapy facilities nationally.
The Senior Citizens Portal also provides resources for finding old-age homes and related services.
State-Wise Government Assistance for Senior Citizens
The most important rule for families is:
Don't check only Central Government schemes.
Every senior citizen should also investigate their own state's pension, health, food-security, housing and welfare programmes.
1. Andhra Pradesh
Senior citizens should check the Andhra Pradesh government for old-age pension/social-security programmes, state healthcare, food-security benefits, disability assistance where applicable, widow benefits where applicable and senior-citizen welfare services.
A poor senior should investigate:
Pension + Ayushman/health coverage + ration + state welfare + assistive devices
2. Arunachal Pradesh
Check old-age pension, social welfare, healthcare assistance, tribal welfare where applicable, food security, disability benefits, senior-citizen services and Central programmes.
Senior citizens in remote areas should also ask district authorities about healthcare camps and available assisted-living services.
3. Assam
Investigate state old-age pension/social assistance, healthcare programmes, food-security benefits, social welfare, senior-citizen services, disability benefits and Central schemes.
Poor elderly people should check both state social-welfare offices and their local administrative body.
4. Bihar
Senior citizens should investigate old-age pension, social-security schemes, healthcare, ration benefits, disability pension where applicable, widow pension where applicable and senior-citizen welfare.
Families should not assume receiving ration benefits means the elderly person is automatically enrolled in pension.
5. Chhattisgarh
Check social-security pension, old-age assistance, healthcare programmes, food security, tribal welfare where applicable, disability assistance and senior-citizen welfare services.
6. Goa
Senior citizens should investigate social-welfare pensions, healthcare, financial assistance, senior-citizen programmes, assisted-living support and Central schemes.
7. Gujarat
Check state old-age pension/social assistance, healthcare, food security, Social Justice programmes, disability assistance where applicable and Central senior-citizen programmes.
8. Haryana
Investigate old-age allowance/pension, state healthcare assistance, social-security benefits, food support, disability benefits and senior-citizen welfare services.
9. Himachal Pradesh
Senior citizens should check social-security pension, healthcare, state welfare programmes, disability assistance, widow assistance where applicable and senior-citizen services.
People living in remote/hilly areas should specifically ask about mobile or district-level medical services.
10. Jharkhand
Check old-age pension, social-security assistance, tribal welfare where applicable, healthcare, ration benefits, disability assistance and Central schemes.
11. Karnataka
Senior citizens should investigate:
- Old-age pension/social-security assistance
- State healthcare programmes
- Food-security benefits
- Senior-citizen welfare
- Disability pension where applicable
- Widow pension where applicable
- Assisted-living devices
- Central Government programmes
Someone qualifying under more than one category should ask the department which benefits can legally be combined.
12. Kerala
Kerala seniors should investigate social-security pensions, state healthcare, local-body assistance, elderly-care programmes, disability assistance, food security and Central schemes.
Families caring for bedridden or highly dependent elderly people should also investigate local care and palliative-support programmes available in their area.
13. Madhya Pradesh
Check old-age pension, social-security assistance, healthcare, food security, Social Justice Department programmes, disability assistance and senior-citizen welfare.
14. Maharashtra
Maharashtra seniors should investigate:
- Old-age pension/social assistance
- State healthcare programmes
- Food-security assistance
- Senior-citizen welfare
- Disability benefits where applicable
- Widow assistance where applicable
- Assisted-living devices
- Central Government schemes
A senior aged 70+ should separately check Ayushman Bharat eligibility even if they assume their income is too high, because the 70+ expansion is irrespective of economic status.
15. Manipur
Check old-age pension, social welfare, healthcare, tribal assistance where applicable, food security, disability assistance and Central programmes.
16. Meghalaya
Senior citizens should investigate state pension/social assistance, healthcare, tribal welfare, food security, disability assistance and Central senior-citizen programmes.
17. Mizoram
Check old-age pension, social welfare, healthcare assistance, tribal welfare, food security, disability benefits and Central schemes.
18. Nagaland
Senior citizens should investigate pension/social assistance, tribal welfare, healthcare, food security, disability assistance and Central elderly-welfare programmes.
19. Odisha
Check old-age pension/social-security programmes, state healthcare, food-security benefits, Social Security & Empowerment programmes, disability assistance and Central schemes.
20. Punjab
Senior citizens should investigate old-age pension, social-security assistance, healthcare, food support, disability assistance, senior-citizen welfare and Central programmes.
21. Rajasthan
Check social-security pension, old-age assistance, healthcare, food security, Social Justice programmes, disability assistance and Central schemes.
22. Sikkim
Senior citizens should investigate old-age pension, social welfare, healthcare, food security, disability assistance and Central elderly-care programmes.
23. Tamil Nadu
Check old-age pension/social assistance, state healthcare, public-distribution benefits, senior-citizen welfare, disability assistance, widow assistance where applicable and Central programmes.
24. Telangana
Senior citizens in Telangana should investigate:
- State old-age pension/social-security assistance
- State healthcare schemes
- Ayushman Bharat where applicable
- Food-security/ration benefits
- Disability assistance where applicable
- Widow assistance where applicable
- Senior-citizen welfare
- Assisted-living devices
- Elderline
- Central schemes
For a poor elderly person, don't search only:
Telangana old age pension
Instead check:
Pension + healthcare + ration + housing/welfare + disability/widow benefits where applicable + Central schemes.
25. Tripura
Check old-age pension, social welfare, tribal assistance, healthcare, food security, disability assistance and Central programmes.
26. Uttar Pradesh
Senior citizens should investigate old-age pension, state healthcare, food-security benefits, Social Welfare Department assistance, disability benefits and Central senior-citizen schemes.
27. Uttarakhand
Check old-age pension, social-security assistance, healthcare, food security, disability benefits, hill-area/local welfare services and Central programmes.
28. West Bengal
Senior citizens should investigate old-age pension/social assistance, healthcare, food-security programmes, disability assistance, widow assistance where applicable and Central senior-citizen programmes.
Union Territories
Senior citizens in Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Lakshadweep and Puducherry should similarly check their UT's Social Welfare Department for old-age pension, healthcare, food assistance, disability benefits, senior-citizen homes and local welfare schemes.
They should also check Central programmes including Ayushman Bharat where applicable, RVY and Elderline.
If the Senior Citizen Is Poor
Use this checklist in order:
- Check old-age pension eligibility.
- If aged 70+, check Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY immediately.
- Check ration/food-security benefits.
- Check the state healthcare scheme.
- Check housing assistance where applicable.
- Check RVY if assistive devices are needed.
- Check disability benefits if the person has a qualifying disability.
- Check widow benefits if applicable.
- Check local senior-citizen welfare programmes.
- Call 14567 if you cannot work out where to go.
This approach is much better than applying randomly.
If the Senior Citizen Is 70 or Older
This deserves its own section because families may miss it.
Check Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY even if the senior citizen is not poor.
The National Health Authority says all senior citizens aged 70 years and above, regardless of economic status, are eligible for the senior-citizen provision, subject to enrolment requirements.
If the Senior Citizen Is a Widow
Don't check only old-age pension.
Investigate:
Widow assistance + old-age/social-security benefits + healthcare + food security + housing/welfare assistance
However, some programmes cannot be received simultaneously. The relevant state department should confirm which benefit applies.
If the Senior Citizen Has a Disability
Check both:
Senior-citizen programmes + disability programmes.
Also investigate RVY for age-related infirmities and assisted-living devices.
Do not automatically assume one category cancels the other.
If an Elderly Parent Is Being Neglected or Abused
This is extremely important.
Senior citizens experiencing:
- Abandonment
- Abuse
- Family disputes
- Maintenance problems
- Homelessness
- Neglect
- Difficulty accessing welfare
can contact Elderline 14567.
The official service provides guidance concerning legal issues, disputes and maintenance and can provide field intervention for abused or homeless elderly people.
Elderline: 14567 — 8 AM to 8 PM, seven days a week.
If a Senior Citizen Has Nowhere to Live
Do not assume the street is the only option.
The Central senior-citizen welfare framework supports Senior Citizen Homes and other care facilities, particularly for indigent elderly people.
Start with:
Elderline 14567 + District Social Welfare Office + State Senior Citizen/Social Welfare Department
The Senior Citizens Portal also provides information on old-age homes.
Senior Citizens Who Still Want to Work
Retirement does not necessarily mean someone no longer wants to contribute or earn.
The Government's Senior Citizens Portal includes SCOPE — Senior Citizen Opportunities for Productive Engagement, intended to connect senior citizens with productive-engagement opportunities.
Documents to Keep Ready
Keep one folder containing:
- Aadhaar
- Age proof
- Bank passbook
- Mobile number
- Passport photographs
- Income certificate where required
- Residence/domicile proof
- Ration card
- Existing pension details
- Ayushman card where applicable
- Disability certificate/UDID where applicable
- Spouse's death certificate where applicable
- Medical documents
- Application acknowledgements
Also keep scanned copies somewhere trusted.
Don't Pay Agents for Guaranteed Pension
Be extremely careful when someone says:
“Give me ₹2,000 and I'll get your pension approved.”
“Give me your OTP.”
“Pay me and I'll make your Ayushman card.”
“I can guarantee ₹5 lakh from the government.”
Never share:
- ATM PIN
- UPI PIN
- Banking password
- OTP
Government healthcare coverage of ₹5 lakh does not mean ₹5 lakh cash is deposited into a senior citizen's account.
It refers to eligible healthcare coverage under the scheme.
One Number Families Should Write Down
Elderline — 14567
It can help with information and guidance concerning:
Pensions • Government schemes • Healthcare • Legal matters • Maintenance • Elder abuse • Old-age homes • Caregivers
It operates 8 AM–8 PM, seven days a week.
A Message to Senior Citizens
If you have worked your whole life and now have little income, please don't assume that asking about government assistance means asking for charity.
These programmes exist because older people can face very real financial, medical and physical difficulties.
Check your pension.
Check your healthcare entitlement.
Check your ration benefits.
Check whether you qualify for assisted-living devices.
And if you don't know where to begin, call 14567.
Most importantly, families should not abandon an elderly person simply because caring for them has become difficult.
A senior citizen deserves food, healthcare, safety, respect and dignity.
*This guide is intended for information and navigation. Pension amounts, income limits, eligibility rules and state benefits change. Always verify the latest information with the relevant State/UT department or official Government of India portal before applying.*
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