Rs 1,000 pension without income cap: Lakshmi Bhandar brings BIG changes for women

The Lakshmi Bhandar project is one of the most popular initiatives in the state. Under this scheme, the state government provides ₹1,000 per month to women and ₹1,200 per month to members of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

Recipients of the Lakshmi Bhandar scheme will automatically begin receiving old-age pension benefits upon reaching 60 years of age, without the need for a separate application.

The state government has already taken steps to implement this process, and a draft has been prepared. The government plans to remove the upper-income limit for individuals eligible to receive the old-age pension while already benefiting from Lakshmi Bhandar. It is anticipated that this change will benefit several lakh women in the state.

Currently, as per the existing rules, individuals are eligible for the ₹1,000 old-age pension only if their monthly income is below ₹1,000.

If Nabanna implements the proposed changes—allowing seamless transition to the old-age pension for Lakshmi Bhandar recipients—then the income cap will no longer pose a barrier for them.

According to sources at Nabanna, the draft regarding this policy shift has been prepared and is awaiting cabinet approval. Once approved, guidelines will be issued, and administrative steps will be initiated promptly.

Lakshmi Bhandar currently has no upper-income limit, and in the future, this will extend to the old-age pension as well. As a result, a large number of women are expected to benefit from the revised policy.

As per estimates, approximately 2 crore women in the state currently receive benefits under the Lakshmi Bhandar scheme, and many of them stand to gain from this progressive step.