Help for senior citizens in India: pensions, health cover and Elder Line

Help for India's senior citizens (60 and over) and their families: a free helpline, health cover, pensions, savings, tax relief and the law that protects parents and elders. Every link goes to an official government website.

Elder Line: 14567

Call 14567, the national helpline for senior citizens run by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, for information on pensions and schemes, legal guidance, emotional support, and help in cases of abuse or abandonment. The call is free.

Health cover: Ayushman Vay Vandana card

Every person aged 70 or over, whatever their income, can get free hospital treatment up to ₹5 lakh a year under Ayushman Bharat (PM-JAY) with an Ayushman Vay Vandana card, shared with family members aged 70 or over. Families already covered by PM-JAY get an extra ₹5 lakh for their members aged 70 or over. Apply at beneficiary.nha.gov.in or the Ayushman app, with Aadhaar.

Old-age pension

Under the Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme, the Centre pays ₹200 a month to people aged 60 to 79 from families below the poverty line, and ₹500 a month from age 80. Every state adds its own amount, and many states pay pensions to more people than the Centre covers. Apply through your gram panchayat or municipal office, or online:

Savings and income tax

• The Senior Citizens Savings Scheme, at post offices and banks, is for people aged 60 and over (55 and over for some retired people), with interest paid every quarter at a rate the government sets each quarter: India Post.
• Income tax under the old tax regime: no tax on income up to ₹3 lakh from age 60 and ₹5 lakh from age 80, and a deduction of up to ₹50,000 on interest from banks and post offices (section 80TTB). People aged 75 or over whose only income is a pension and interest from the same bank need not file a return; the bank deducts the tax. See the Income Tax Department.
• Pensioners can give their yearly life certificate online with Jeevan Pramaan, instead of going to the bank.

Aids and appliances

The Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana gives walking sticks, wheelchairs, hearing aids, spectacles, dentures and other aids free to senior citizens from families below the poverty line or with an income up to ₹15,000 a month, at camps in the districts.

The law for parents and senior citizens

Under the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007, children and heirs must look after parents and elderly relatives who cannot support themselves. A parent or senior citizen can apply to the Maintenance Tribunal (at the sub-divisional officer's office) for a monthly allowance of up to ₹10,000, and property given away on the condition of being cared for can be taken back if that care is not given. Elder Line (14567) can help with the application.

See also: disability support, and your state's services and helplines page, listed under India's government.

Sources: Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment; National Health Authority; National Social Assistance Programme (Ministry of Rural Development); India Post; Income Tax Department. Links checked November 2026.