No Increase in Age for Elderly Allowance; NPR 109 Billion Allocated for Social Security Programs

Kathmandu, May 29 – The Government of Nepal has decided not to increase the eligibility age for elderly allowance, despite prior discussions on the matter.

Presenting the budget for the fiscal year 2082/83, Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel confirmed that the current age threshold of 68 years for receiving elderly allowance will remain unchanged.

The government has allocated NPR 109 billion for various social security programs.

Minister Paudel also announced that scattered social security programs will be integrated, and access to all such benefits will gradually require a National Identity Card (NID).

To support this, the government will deploy mobile teams to issue National ID cards to senior citizens. The move is aimed at making Nepal’s social protection system more effective, inclusive, and transparent.