Old Age Pension: Puducherry To Add 10,000 More Beneficiaries To The Scheme Starting September 18

The Puducherry Chief Minister, N. Rangasamy, announced on September 12, 2025, that 10,000 more beneficiaries will be included under the old age pension scheme in the Union Territory (UT). The CM announced that an order in this regard will be passed on September 18. Further, 5,000 more individuals, younger than the current group of beneficiaries, will be added to the scheme’s benefits, according to media reports. To provide support to the indigent elderly in the country, the central, state, and UTs run their old age pension schemes, so that they don’t have to depend on others for petty expenses.

While the states and UTs are running the old age pension scheme to provide financial assistance to the elderly in the respective states, the conditions of the scheme could be different from one state to another. Here are the details of the scheme in Puducherry.

According to the Department of Women and Child Development, Government of Puducherry, the Old Age Persons and Destitutes Pension scheme covers old age persons, widows, deserted women, unmarried women, and transgender individuals.

The financial assistance differs based on age and the beneficiary's category.

Old Age Pension Eligibility Age And Pension Amount

Age between 55 and 59 years

• Rs 2,000 – For old age people, widows, deserted women, unmarried women, and transgender people

Age between 60 and 79 years

• Rs 2,500 – For old age people

Age 80 years and above

• Rs 3,500 – For old age people

Who Can Apply?

The department lays down the eligibility criteria for this scheme. According to which:

• The applicant, both men and women, should be above 55 years for the old age pension

For Other Categories, The Criteria Are:

• Widows above 18 years of age

• Deserted Women deserted for the past seven years consecutively

• Unmarried women above 40 years

• Transgender individuals above 21 years

What Documents Are Required?

The applicant needs to submit the following documents to be eligible for the old-age pension.

• Identification certificate

• Income certificate (should not be more than Rs 75,000)

• Residence certificate

• An attested copy of the Birth Certificate or other document as proof of age

• An attested copy of the Ration Card or Identity Card

For Other Categories:

• In case of Widow: An attested copy of the Death Certificate of the husband

• In the case of deserted Women: A certificate from the Member of Legislative Authority (MLA) and an anganwadi worker, validating the desertion, and a sworn affidavit in Appendix I

• In case of unmarried women: A sworn affidavit in Appendix II

• In the Transgender: Age proof and a medical certificate from a medical officer

A person who fulfils the eligibility criteria and has documentary proof can apply for the pension request of the deputy director in the old age pension section of the DoWCD, Puducherry. The request can also be submitted to the child development project officer, Karaikal, or the welfare officer, Mahe or Yanam.