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ActiveCentral Sector SchemeLaunched 2015-05-09Verified: 2026-09-16

Atal Pension Yojana (APY)

Guaranteed pension scheme administered by PFRDA for unorganized sector workers offering monthly pensions of ₹1,000 to ₹5,000 from age 60.

Government Levelcentral Government
Administering BodyMinistry of Finance
Beneficiary Sector
Social Welfare & SecurityBanking & Financial Services
Applicable Jurisdiction
All India

₹Benefits & Entitlement Breakdown

Guaranteed monthly pension of ₹1,000, ₹2,000, ₹3,000, ₹4,000, or ₹5,000 starting from the age of 60 years until death. Upon subscriber demise, the exact same monthly pension continues to the surviving spouse for life. On death of both subscriber and spouse, the entire accumulated pension corpus (ranging from ₹1.7 lakh up to ₹8.5 lakh) is handed over to the nominee.

📊Budget Allocation & Beneficiary Reach

Fiscal Budget Allocation

Government guarantees any shortfall in accumulated corpus to pay the minimum guaranteed pension

Official Budget Document ↗
Verified Beneficiary Reach

6.8+ Crore subscribers enrolled in APY

As of: 2024-03-31PIB / Official Citation ↗

Verified Eligibility Criteria

Age Requirement:18 to 40 years
Annual Family Income Ceiling:No gross income ceiling specified
Target Occupations:unorganized_worker, informal_worker, self_employed, all
Eligible Gender:all
Social Category / Reservation:all
Specific Operational Conditions & Exclusions:

Must possess an active savings bank account or post office account with auto-debit facility. Age at entry must be between 18 and 40 years. Effective 1st October 2022, any citizen who is or has been an Income Tax payer is NOT eligible to join APY.

Required Documents Checklist

  • ✓
    Aadhaar CardMandatory

    Mandatory KYC identity verification.

  • ✓
    Savings Bank Account Passbook with IFSCMandatory

    For periodic auto-debit of monthly/quarterly contributions.

  • ✓
    Spouse & Nominee Identity DetailsMandatory

    To establish pension continuation and corpus inheritance rights.

How to Apply

1. Approach the bank branch or post office where you maintain your savings account, or log in via NetBanking. 2. Fill out the APY Subscriber Registration Form (available on https://pfrda.org.in). 3. Select your desired monthly pension amount (₹1,000 to ₹5,000) and contribution frequency (Monthly, Quarterly, or Half-Yearly). 4. Provide auto-debit consent from your savings account. 5. Bank registers the subscriber in the CRA system and issues a Permanent Retirement Account Number (PRAN) acknowledgment slip.

Official Government Application Portal

You will be redirected to the secure official portal: www.npscra.nsdl.co.in

Apply on official government website

Frequently Asked Questions (Officially Sourced)

Verified answers sourced directly from official circulars, gazettes, and portal FAQs. Never AI-invented.

Can an income tax payer join Atal Pension Yojana?

No. Effective 1st October 2022, any citizen who is or has been an income tax payer under the Income Tax Act is not eligible to join APY.

Source: Official Scheme FAQ ↗

What happens to the pension if the subscriber dies after age 60?

After the death of the subscriber, the same monthly pension amount is paid to the surviving spouse for life. After the demise of both, the accumulated pension wealth is returned to the nominee.

Source: Official Scheme FAQ ↗

Can a subscriber upgrade or downgrade the pension amount?

Yes, subscribers can alter their pension tier (between ₹1,000 and ₹5,000) once during a financial year through their bank branch.

Source: Official Scheme FAQ ↗

Common Rejection Reasons & Warnings

Joining age above 40 years or below 18; subscriber is an income tax payer (post 01.10.2022 amendment); failure of auto-debit due to continuous default.

Editorial Verification & Change Log

DateFieldDescription / UpdateSource Citation
2026-09-16initial_verificationBaseline verification of APY guidelines, contribution slabs, and tax payer exclusion rules.Official Source ↗

Application Window & Deadlines

Open throughout the year (Continuous enrollment)

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Affordable government-backed one-year renewable life insurance scheme offering ₹2 lakh life risk cover on death due to any cause.

Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY)

Highly subsidized accidental death and disability insurance offering ₹2 lakh cover for just ₹20 per year.

Official Helpline & Nodal Offices

Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA)

B-14/A, Chatrapati Shivaji Bhawan, Qutab Institutional Area, Katwaria Sarai, New Delhi - 110016

Helpline: 1800-110-069 (PFRDA National Toll-Free APY Helpline)

Jurisdiction: National (All-India)

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Verification Metadata

Last verified by Eligo researchers on 2026-09-16 against official government documentation.

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