The Delhi government has started verifying records of old-age pension beneficiaries to identify dead and ineligible recipients. The exercise comes when the number of senior citizens receiving pensions has risen to 4.41 lakh in FY26, close to the highest level recorded in the past decade.
The verification drive could change the size of the beneficiary list, making the latest figures important for understanding how the scheme has evolved and what may change next.
The estimate refers to cases involving dead beneficiaries and people receiving other government assistance alongside the old-age pension. The number of senior citizens receiving pensions stood at 3.88 lakh in FY16, according to the Delhi Economic Survey 2025-26. It rose to 4.38 lakh in FY18 and continued to increase, reaching 4.64 lakh in FY20, the highest figure in the period covered here. A senior government functionary estimated that the exercise could create vacancies equivalent to 20-25 per cent of the existing beneficiary base, according to the report. Under the rates listed in the Delhi Economic Survey 2025-26, senior citizens aged 60-69 receive Rs 2,000 per month, while those aged 70 and above receive Rs 2,500 per month.
