**Executive Summary**
This document is the response to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 591, answered on 03/02/2026, regarding old age pensions and related fraud. It details the government's awareness of embezzlement cases involving widow/old age pensions using fake death certificates and outlines steps taken to prevent such fraud. These steps include implementation of NSAP guidelines, digital tools like NSAP-PPS for direct benefit transfer, Aadhaar-based verification, and regular monitoring by various committees.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Embezzlement Cases:**
* 51 cases identified in Uttar Pradesh involving forged death certificates to avail benefits under the Widow Pension Scheme.
* ₹18.02 lakh disbursed in these cases, not ₹1.23 crore as reported.
* Pension payments stopped, and recovery process initiated by the Uttar Pradesh government.
* **NSAP Implementation and Monitoring:**
* Implementation and verification of beneficiaries under the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) are the responsibility of State/UT governments.
* Fake/duplicate beneficiaries are detected through Aadhaar-based verification, de-duplication exercises, and periodic field verification.
* Corrective action, including discontinuation of pension and recovery of excess payments, is taken by State/UT governments.
* Ministry monitors NSAP schemes through Performance Review Committee (PRC) meetings, quarterly reviews, and visits by Area Officers.
* District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committees (DISHA) also review the scheme.
* **Fraud Prevention Measures:**
* NSAP-PPS, a web-based pension payment portal, has been operationalized for Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) via PFMS to ensure transparency.
* Over 90% of NSAP pension disbursal is through DBT.
* Aadhaar-based registration system with de-duplication using demographic authentication is implemented.
* Approximately 91% of beneficiaries have Aadhaar numbers seeded in NSAP-PPS.
* Digital Life Certification (DLC) mobile application developed for Aadhaar-based biometric verification.
* Government strengthening beneficiary verification and re-validation procedures under NSAP-PPS portal, including Aadhaar-based checks and verification by States/UTs.
**Impact Analysis**
**State/UT Governments**
* **Impact:** Bear the responsibility for implementing and monitoring NSAP, including verification, disbursement, and taking corrective actions.
* **Action Required:** Conduct Aadhaar-based verification, de-duplication, and field verification; discontinue pensions and recover excess payments when fraud is detected.
**Ministry of Rural Development**
* **Impact:** Oversees and reviews NSAP implementation.
* **Action Required:** Continue monitoring through PRC meetings, reviews, and field visits; strengthen verification procedures.
**Pension Beneficiaries**
* **Impact:** Subject to verification and authentication processes to ensure genuine beneficiaries receive pensions.
* **Action Required:** Provide Aadhaar details and undergo biometric verification as required; ensure life certificates are updated.
Key Entities Referenced
National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP): A social welfare program providing financial assistance to elderly, widows, and disabled persons.
National Social Assistance Programme-Pension Payment System (NSAP-PPS): A web-based pension payment portal used as a digital tool for direct benefit transfer (DBT) of pensions.
Ministry of Rural Development: The ministry responsible for administering the NSAP and its related schemes.
Aadhaar: A 12-digit individual identification number used for beneficiary verification and de-duplication in pension schemes.
Uttar Pradesh: State where embezzlement cases were reported related to widow/old age pensions.
O.I.H.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 591
ANSWERED ON 03/02/2026
OLD AGE PENSIONS
591. Shri NeerajMaurya:
Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government is aware of the case related to the
embezzlement of an amount of approximately 1.23 crore in the
form of widow/old age pensions by showing living persons as
dead through fake death certificates in the Bareilly/Aonla area
of Uttar Pradesh, if so, the details thereof;
(b) the number of cases of fake beneficiaries under pension
schemes have come to light in the country during the last five
years and the amount that has been recovered from them;
(c) the steps that have been taken to make the mutual integration
of death registration, Aadhaar verification, bank account and
pension portal mandatory in order to prevent such type of
fraud; and
(d) whether the Government considering implementing a standard
operating procedure to prevent the recurrence of such
incidents in the future, if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT
(SHRI KAMLESH PASWAN)
(a): As per information received from the Government of Uttar
Pradesh, 51 cases have been identified under the State
Government’s Widow Pension Scheme wherein benefits were
availed on the basis of forged death certificates. In these cases, an
amount of ₹18.02 lakh was disbursed as pension and not Rs. 1.23
crore as reported. The Government of Uttar Pradesh has stopped
the pension in these cases and has initiated the process for
recovery of the disbursed pension amount.
Page 1 of 2(b): As per NSAP guidelines, the responsibility for implementation
of the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP), including
identification and verification of beneficiaries, disbursement and
stoppage of pensions, and annual verification, rests with the
respective State Governments/UT Administrations. Instances of
fake/duplicate beneficiaries under pension schemes are detected by
States/UTs primarily through Aadhaar-based verification, de-
duplication exercises, and periodic field verification and if
identified, corrective action including discontinuation of pension
and recovery of excess payments as per the provisions, is
undertaken by the concerned State/UT Governments.
Further, the Ministry monitors/reviews the implementation of
NSAP schemes through Performance Review Committee (PRC)
meetings, quarterly review meetings, visits by Area Officers.
Further, review/monitoring of the scheme is done by District
Development Coordination and Monitoring Committees (DISHA) at
the district level.
(c) & (d): In order to prevent fraud, pilferage of resources and
ensure transparency, a web-based pension payment portal, NSAP-
PPS (National Social Assistance Programme-Pension Payment
System) has been operationalized as an end-to-end digital tool for
Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode disbursal of pension through
PFMS. More than 90% pension disbursal under NSAP is through DBT
mode. An Aadhaar-based registration system has been implemented
wherein whenever a new registration is initiated, de-duplication is
carried out in the database through demographic authentication
using the beneficiary’s Aadhaar number. At present, approximately
91% of beneficiaries have their Aadhaar numbers seeded in the
NSAP-PPS portal. Additionally, a Digital Life Certification (DLC)
mobile application has been developed for Aadhaar-based biometric
verification of beneficiaries.
Government is following and further strengthening procedures
for beneficiary verification and periodic re-validation under NSAP-
PPS portal, including Aadhaar-based checks, DBT through PFMS,
and verification by States/UTs. These measures, along with regular
monitoring/review, are aimed at preventing the recurrence of such
incidents.
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