Friday 14 December 2018

Everything you need to know about Atal Pension Yojana

The primary aim of Atal Pension Yojana is to promote saving for retirement. It especially targets the unorganised sector that has little to no retirement fund to fall back on. Announced in 2015, Atal Pension Yojana enables the non-tax paying daily wageworkers to enjoy the security of receiving a pension. Under this scheme, the benefactors receive a pension of Rs. 1000, RS. 2000, Rs. 3000, Rs. 4000 or Rs. 5000, once they attain 60 years of age.

Atal Pension Yojana Eligibility

To be a benefactor under the Atal Pension Yojana, a person must check all the following criteria-

• Must be a citizen of India
• Age at the time of application must be between 18 years and 40 years
• Should be able to contribute to the pension fund for a minimum of 20 years
• Must have a bank account that is linked to Aadhaar
• Must possess a valid mobile number
• All previous benefactors of Swavalamban Yojana receive automatic migration to Atal Pension Yojana

How to Apply for APY Scheme

• Applications are accepted at all nationalised banks, post offices as well as through the online mode
• Banks accept applications to the APY. You must fill out the form available with the bank. You may also download and submit the form online.
• Applications are available in English, Hindi, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Marathi, Oriya, Tamil, and Telugu
• Submission of a photocopy of your Aadhaar Card is mandatory
• Ensure linking your valid mobile number to your bank
• A confirmation message approves the success of your application

How Does It Work?

• You must pay a nominal monthly contribution towards your pension fund depending on the amount you want to receive each month and your age at the time of entry. Refer to the APY table to find out your monthly contribution.
• The earlier you enter the scheme, the less you need to pay per month. Monthly contributions are extremely small and vary from Rs. 42 to Rs. 1454.
• The scheme charges a penalty if you fail to pay your monthly instalment. The amount of penalty depends on your monthly contribution amount. It ranges from Re. 1 to Rs. 10.
• There is no provision for exiting the scheme unless in extreme cases of terminal illness or death. Even if the original benefactor dies before 60 years, their spouse can continue the fund and enjoy the pension benefits.
• On attaining 60 years, you can draw the pension from your bank or post office. However, you must first submit the request to draw the pension.
• In the event both the spouse and the benefactor dies, the corpus amount will pass on to a nominee.

The Atal Pension Yojana aims to assist the poor in their old age through nominal periodic contributions. It is a part of the National Pension Scheme and seeks to provide support for 88% of the workforce who have no financial support whatsoever. The Scheme empowers the several poor people and helps them take care of the health and other needs. In other words, it gives the elderly population their self-respect and security.

No comments:

Post a Comment