About Atal Pension Yojana

Atal Pension Yojana (APY) – Details of the Scheme

1. Introduction

1.1 The Government of India is extremely concerned about the old age income

security of the working poor and is focused on encouraging and enabling them to join

the National Pension System (NPS). To address the longevity risks among the

workers in unorganised sector and to encourage the workers in unorganised sector

to voluntarily save for their retirement, who constitute 88% of the total labour force of

47.29 crore as per the 66th Round of NSSO Survey of 2011-12, but do not have any

formal pension provision, the Government had started the Swavalamban Scheme in

2010-11. However, coverage under Swavalamban Scheme is inadequate mainly due

to lack of guaranteed pension benefits at the age of 60.

1.2 The Government announced the introduction of universal social security

schemes in the Insurance and Pension sectors for all Indians, specially the poor and

the under-privileged, in the Budget for the year 2015-16. Therefore, it has been

announced that the Government will launch the Atal Pension Yojana (APY), which

will provide a defined pension, depending on the contribution, and its period. The

APY will be focussed on all citizens in the unorganised sector, who join the National

Pension System (NPS) administered by the Pension Fund Regulatory and

Development Authority (PFRDA). Under the APY, the subscribers would receive the

fixed minimum pension of Rs. 1000 per month, Rs. 2000 per month, Rs. 3000 per

month, Rs. 4000 per month, Rs. 5000 per month, at the age of 60 years, depending

on their contributions, which itself would be based on the age of joining the APY. The

minimum age of joining APY is 18 years and maximum age is 40 years. Therefore,

minimum period of contribution by any subscriber under APY would be 20 years or

more. The benefit of fixed minimum pension would be guaranteed by the

Government. The APY would be introduced from 1st June, 2015.

2. Benefit of APY

2.1 Fixed pension for the subscribers ranging between Rs. 1000 to Rs. 5000, if he

joins and contributes between the age of 18 years and 40 years. The contribution

levels would vary and would be low if subscriber joins early and increase if he joins

late.

3. Eligibility for APY

3.1 Atal Pension Yojana (APY) is open to all bank account holders. The Central

Government would also co-contribute 50% of the total contribution or Rs. 1000 per

annum, whichever is lower, to each eligible subscriber account, for a period of 5

years, i.e., from Financial Year 2015-16 to 2019-20, who join the NPS between the

period 1st June, 2015 and 31st December, 2015 and who are not members of any

statutory social security scheme and who are not income tax payers. However the

scheme will continue after this date but Government Co-contribution will not be

available.

3.2 The Government co-contribution is payable to eligible PRANs by PFRDA after

receiving the confirmation from Central Record Keeping Agency at such periodicity

as may be decided by PFRDA.

4. Age of joining and contribution period

4.1 The minimum age of joining APY is 18 years and maximum age is 40 years.

The age of exit and start of pension would be 60 years. Therefore, minimum period

of contribution by the subscriber under APY would be 20 years or more.

5.Focus of APY

5.1 Mainly targeted at unorganised sector workers.

6. Enrolment and Subscriber Payment

6.1 All bank account holders under the eligible category may join APY with autodebit

facility to accounts, leading to reduction in contribution collection charges. The subscribers should keep the required balance in their savings bank accounts on the

stipulated due dates to avoid any late payment penalty. Due dates for monthly

contribution payment is arrived based on the deposit of first contribution amount. In

case of repeated defaults for specified period, the account is liable for foreclosure

and the GoI co-contributions, if any shall be forfeited. Also any false declaration

about his/her eligibility for benefits under this scheme for whatsoever reason, the

entire government contribution shall be forfeited along with the penal interest. For

enrolment, Aadhaar would be the primary KYC document for identification of

beneficiaries, spouse and nominees to avoid pension rights and entitlement related

disputes in the long-term. The subscribers are required to opt for a monthly pension

from Rs. 1000 - Rs. 5000 and ensure payment of stipulated monthly contribution

regularly. The subscribers can opt to decrease or increase pension amount during

the course of accumulation phase, as per the available monthly pension amounts.

However, the switching option shall be provided once in year during the month of

April. Each subscriber will be provided with an acknowledgement slip after joining

APY which would invariably record the guaranteed pension amount, due date of

contribution payment, PRAN etc.

7. Enrolment agencies

7.1 All Points of Presence (Service Providers) and Aggregators under

Swavalamban Scheme would enrol subscribers through architecture of National

Pension System. The banks, as POP or aggregators, may employ BCs/Existing non

- banking aggregators, micro insurance agents, and mutual fund agents as enablers

for operational activities. The banks may share the incentives received by them from

PFRDA/Government, as deemed appropriate.

8. Operational Framework of APY

8.1 It is Government of India Scheme, which is administered by the Pension Fund

Regulatory and Development Authority. The Institutional Architecture of NPS would

be utilised to enrol subscribers under APY. The offer document of APY including the

account opening form would be formulated by PFRDA.

9. Funding of APY

9.1 Government would provide (i) fixed pension guarantee for the subscribers; (ii)

would co-contribute 50% of the total contribution or Rs. 1000 per annum, whichever

is lower, to eligible subscribers; and (iii) would also reimburse the promotional and

development activities including incentive to the contribution collection agencies to

encourage people to join the APY.

10. Migration of existing subscribers of Swavalamban Scheme to APY

10.1 The existing Swavalamban subscriber, if eligible, may be automatically

migrated to APY with an option to opt out. However, the benefit of five years of

government Co-contribution under APY would not exceed 5 years for all subscribers.

This would imply that if, as a Swavalamban beneficiary, he has received the benefit

of government Co-Contribution of 1 year, then the Government co-contribution under

APY would be available only 4 years and so on. Existing Swavalamban beneficiaries

opting out from the proposed APY will be given Government co-contribution till 2016-

17, if eligible, and the NPS Swavalamban continued till such people attained the age

of exit under that scheme.

10.2 The existing Swavalamban subscribers between 18-40 years will be

automatically migrated to APY. For seamless migration to the new scheme, the

associated aggregator will facilitate those subscribers for completing the process of

migration. Those subscribers may also approach the nearest authorised bank branch

for shifting their Swavalamban account into APY with PRAN details.

10.3 The Swavalamban subscribers who are beyond the age of 40 and do not wish

to continue may opt out the Swavalamban scheme by complete withdrawal of entire

amount in lump sum, or may prefer to continue till 60 years to be eligible for

annuities there under.

11. Penalty for default

11.1 Under APY, the individual subscribers shall have an option to make the

contribution on a monthly basis. Banks are required to collect additional amount for

delayed payments, such amount will vary from minimum Rs. 1 per month to Rs 10/-

per month as shown below:

• Rs. 1 per month for contribution upto Rs. 100 per month.

• Rs. 2 per month for contribution upto Rs. 101 to 500/- per month.

• Rs. 5 per month for contribution between Rs 501/- to 1000/- per month.

• Rs. 10 per month for contribution beyond Rs 1001/- per month.

The fixed amount of interest/penalty will remain as part of the pension corpus of the

subscriber.

11.2 Discontinuation of payments of contribution amount shall lead to following:

• After 6 months account will be frozen.

• After 12 months account will be deactivated.

• After 24 months account will be closed.

12. Operation of additional amount for delayed payments

12.1 APY module will raise demand on the due date and continue to raise demand

till the amount is recovered from the subscriber’s account.

12.2 The due date for recovery of monthly contribution may be treated as the first

day /or any other day during the calendar month for each subscriber. Bank can

recover amount any day till the last day of the month. It will imply that contribution

are recovered as and when funds are available any point during the month.

12.3 Monthly contribution will be recovered on FIFO basis- earliest due instalment

will recovered first along with the fixed amount of charges as mentioned above.

12.4 More than one monthly contribution can be recovered in month subject to

availability of the funds. Monthly contribution will be recovered along with the

monthly fixed due amount, if any. In all cases, the contribution is to be recovered

along with the fixed charges. This will be banks’ internal process. The due amount

will be recovered as and when funds are available in the account.

13. Investment of the contributions under APY

13.1 The amount collected under APY are managed by Pension Funds appointed

by PFRDA as per the investment pattern specified by the Government. The

subscriber has no option to choose either the investment pattern or Pension Fund.

14. Continuous Information Alerts to Subscribers

14.1 Periodical information to the subscribers regarding balance in the account,

contribution credits etc. will be intimated to APY subscribers by way of SMS alerts.

The subscribers will have the option to change the non – financial details like

nominee’s name, address, phone number etc whenever required.

14.2 All subscribers under APY remain connected on their mobile so that timely

SMS alerts can be provided to them at the time of making their subscription, autodebit

of their accounts and the balance in their accounts.

15. Exit and pension payment

15.1 Upon completion of 60 years, the subscribers will submit the request to the

associated bank for drawing the guaranteed monthly pension.

15.2 Exit before 60 years of age is not permitted, however, it is permitted only in

exceptional circumstances, i.e., in the event of the death of beneficiary or terminal

disease.

16. Age of Joining, Contribution Levels, Fixed Monthly Pension and Return

of Corpus to the nominee of subscribers

16.1 The Table of contribution levels, fixed minimum monthly pension to

subscribers and his spouse and return of corpus to nominees of subscribers and the

contribution period is given below. For example, to get a fixed monthly pension

between Rs. 1,000 per month and Rs. 5,000 per month, the subscriber has to

contribute on monthly basis between Rs. 42 and Rs. 210, if he joins at the age of 18

years. For the same fixed pension levels, the contribution would range between Rs.

291 and Rs. 1,454, if the subscriber joins at the age of 40 years.

Table of contribution levels, fixed monthly pension of Rs. 1,000 per month to