Complete guide to West Bengal Old Age Pension — eligibility (60+), applying through Seva Setu camps and Form-P, checking status on Samarth and NSAP portals, pension amount and restarting a stopped pension.
Tick off the required papers as you gather them for your application:
As age advances, income stops, but expenses don’t. That is exactly why the West Bengal government runs the Old Age Pension (Bardhakya Bhata) for poor senior citizens — a monthly pension directly into the bank account at the end of each month. But the route to applying is unknown to many: where to get the form, when the camps are held, where to check the status after submitting — and for existing beneficiaries the biggest question of all: what to do when the money stops coming?
This guide puts it all in one place.
New applications for the old age pension are mainly camp-based. Seva Setu and Duare Sarkar camps are held at block and municipality levels throughout the year — new applications are accepted there.
Many old age pensions are linked to central NSAP records. If so, check the status on the NSAP application tracker with your application number and captcha; central pension information is also available on mobile via the UMANG app.
The most common complaint of elderly beneficiaries — the money hasn’t arrived for months. The cause is almost always one of these:
| Cause | Symptom | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Life certificate / annual verification pending | Payments stopped from a particular month | Submit the life certificate at the panchayat/block and get re-verification |
| NPCI-DBT link inactive | Payment Failed/Returned on the portal | Submit the Aadhaar-DBT (NPCI) mandate form at the bank |
| Account inactive | No transactions for a long time | Reactivate the account at the bank and complete Full KYC |
| Name mismatch between Aadhaar and bank | DBT fails when spellings differ | Correct the spelling at the bank/Aadhaar and inform the block |
| Pensioner recorded as deceased (wrongly or actually) | Another family member’s allowance stopped | Correct the record at the block office with proof of being alive |
Arrears can be recovered: After the problem is fixed, the stuck instalments are credited to the bank together with the next instalment — as long as the approved status remains on the portal.
In 2026 the monthly allowance was announced to rise from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500. Don’t believe the Rs 2,000-4,500 claims circulating on social media without a government notice.
Dates differ by area — check the notices of the panchayat, block office or municipality, or enquire at the office.
It varies by camp and block — a few weeks to a few months. Keep the receipt number and check the status regularly on the Samarth portal.
If the age shows below 60 the application will stall. Get the Aadhaar corrected first and then apply.
No. One person can be a beneficiary of only one pension scheme at a time.
A family member can take the documents to the block office and submit Form-P, or make the request at a Duare Sarkar camp — if needed, officers come home for verification.
🛡️ Don’t pay an agent in the name of receiving a pension — applications and corrections are all free. Never share your OTP, Aadhaar number or bank PIN with anyone over the phone. Contact only
.gov.inportals and the block/municipality office.
Related articles: To learn about widow pension applications and status checks, read the Widow Pension complete guide. If the allowance money isn’t reaching the bank, see the payment problem troubleshooting guide.
Permanent residents of West Bengal from poor families aged 60 years or above can apply. There may be a relaxation in the age limit for persons with disabilities — verify at the block office.
The easiest route is your local Seva Setu or Duare Sarkar camp — go there with documents, fill in the form and submit. You can also collect Form-P from the BDO, SDO, DSWO or municipality office and submit it, and in some cases applications also run through the e-District portal.
The old socialsecurity.wb.gov.in (WB Samarth) has now moved to socialregistry.wb.gov.in. Log in there through Citizen Login with the application's mobile number + OTP and view your application status. For older NSAP-linked pensions, you can also check on the nsap.dord.gov.in application tracker with your application number.
In 2026 the monthly allowance was announced to increase from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500 (the same increase applies to widow and disability pensions). The big figures circulating on social media are invalid — confirm the latest amount at your local office.
Payments usually get stuck because the annual life-certificate/verification is pending, the bank's NPCI-DBT link is inactive, the account is inactive, or there is a name mismatch between Aadhaar and the bank. Check the status on the Samarth portal, verify DBT at the bank, and get re-verification done at the block office with documents. Arrears can be recovered after correction.
Under the central NSAP, those above 80 years of age had a higher central share under the old Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension; contact the block office's social welfare section for the state scheme's current terms.
Contact the official West Bengal Government helpline for immediate resolution.