The Delhi government has directed district social welfare officers to clear all pending old-age pension applications within seven working days, after a departmental review found that more than half of the applications had not been sanctioned or disposed of within the prescribed 45-day timeline, officials said on Saturday.
In a circular issued on September 29, the Social Welfare Department said that pendency persisted despite earlier directions and asked all district social welfare officers (DSWOs) to ensure time-bound disposal, particularly for applications approaching or exceeding the stipulated service-level agreement (SLA) period. Each team member was directed to verify at least 50 applications daily, in addition to their regular duties.
The department said progress would be monitored by its Financial Assistance Section and senior authorities.
More than 435,000 senior citizens are currently enrolled under the scheme, according to Delhi government data. Beneficiaries aged between 60 and 69 years receive a monthly pension of ₹ 2,000, while those aged 70 and above are entitled to ₹ 2,500 per month.
