CentralFinanceActivePensionUnorganised Sector

Atal Pension Yojana (APY)

Ministry of Finance (Administered by PFRDA)

Government-backed pension scheme targeted at unorganised sector workers, guaranteeing a fixed monthly pension of ₹1,000 to ₹5,000 after the age of 60 based on contribution amount and age of joining.

Check If I Qualify Helpline: 1800-110-069

Benefit

₹1,000–₹5,000/month guaranteed pension at 60

For

Unorganised sector workers aged 18–40

Coverage

All India

Since

2015

Last Verified

Mar 2026

Eligibility

Who Can Apply

  • Indian citizens aged 18–40 years
  • Must have a savings bank account (linked to Aadhaar)
  • Primarily targeted at unorganised sector workers not covered by formal pension
  • Both spouses can open separate APY accounts for independent pension

Who Cannot Apply

  • Persons aged above 40 years (minimum 20-year contribution period required)
  • Income tax payers (ineligible as of July 2022 notification)
  • Existing NPS (Tier I) government sector subscribers
  • Non-Indian citizens or NRIs

Benefits

  • Guaranteed monthly pension of ₹1,000, ₹2,000, ₹3,000, ₹4,000, or ₹5,000 after age 60
  • Same pension continues to spouse after subscriber's death
  • Nominee receives the corpus amount on death of both subscriber and spouse
  • Government co-contributed 50% (or ₹1,000/year, whichever is lower) for eligible subscribers (2015–2019 window; closed for new subscribers)

Documents Required

  • Aadhaar Card
  • Savings bank account (Aadhaar-linked)
  • Registered mobile number
  • KYC documents as per bank requirement

How to Apply

Online

  1. Log in to your bank's internet banking or mobile banking app
  2. Navigate to 'Government Schemes' or 'APY' section
  3. Select desired pension amount (₹1,000 to ₹5,000) and review monthly contribution
  4. Confirm auto-debit mandate from savings account and submit

Offline / CSC

  1. Visit any bank branch or post office where you hold a savings account
  2. Request an APY registration form
  3. Fill subscriber details, nominee details, and select pension amount
  4. Submit with Aadhaar copy and activate auto-debit from your account
  5. APY PRAN (Permanent Retirement Account Number) will be issued

Frequently Asked Questions

Contribution depends on your age at joining and the pension amount chosen. For example, joining at age 18 for a ₹5,000 pension requires ₹210/month. Joining at age 40 for the same requires ₹1,454/month. Use the online calculator on the PFRDA website.
Yes. You can upgrade or downgrade your pension amount once a year during April–May by visiting your bank branch.
A penalty of ₹1–₹10/month is charged for delayed contributions depending on the amount. Account is frozen after 6 months of default and deactivated after 24 months.
Premature exit is allowed only in case of terminal illness or death. Voluntary exit before 60 results in return of only subscriber's contributions with net accrued income.
Yes. APY offers a guaranteed fixed pension and is targeted at unorganised sector workers. NPS is market-linked and primarily for formal sector employees, though open to all citizens.

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