Monthly Allowances for Elderly, Widows and Disabled Increased by ₹500

The West Bengal government on Monday announced a significant enhancement in social security benefits for senior citizens, widows and specially-abled persons while presenting the State Budget for 2026-27 in the Assembly. Finance Minister Dr. Swapan Dasgupta said the monthly allowances provided under various welfare schemes would be increased by ₹500, a move expected to benefit lakhs of vulnerable citizens across the state.

Presenting the Budget, the Finance Minister stated that beneficiaries receiving old-age pension and widow pension would now get an additional ₹500 every month. The same increase has also been extended to specially-abled persons covered under the state’s social welfare programmes. The announcement was one of the key welfare measures unveiled in the first full Budget of the BJP-led government in West Bengal.

The decision comes amid public discussions over the future of pension schemes following the change in government. Questions had been raised in several quarters regarding whether existing beneficiaries would continue to receive support under the new administration. The latest announcement has sought to address those concerns by not only continuing the schemes but also increasing the financial assistance provided to beneficiaries.

The Budget also introduced a new unemployment assistance programme titled ‘Yubashakti Bharosa’, aimed at supporting educated job seekers between the ages of 21 and 45. Under the scheme, unemployed graduates will receive a monthly allowance of ₹3,000, while other eligible unemployed youth will be provided ₹2,000 per month. The government said the scheme will be available to individuals from families with an annual income below ₹1 lakh who are not already receiving benefits under other social welfare programmes.

According to the Finance Minister, the ‘Yubashakti Bharosa’ programme is scheduled to be launched in October this year. The initiative is expected to provide financial support to thousands of young people as they search for employment opportunities.

The enhanced pension benefits, along with the newly announced youth assistance scheme, underline the government’s focus on expanding social security coverage and strengthening welfare support for economically vulnerable sections of society. The measures form part of a broader Budget package that also includes employment generation, infrastructure development and increased welfare spending across the state.