Atal Pension Yojana: Eligibility, Contribution Chart and Payout

Atal Pension Yojana (APY) pays a government-guaranteed pension of ₹1,000 to ₹5,000 a month from age 60. Any Indian citizen aged 18 to 40 with a savings account in a bank or post office can join, except people who are or have been income-tax payers. The monthly contribution depends on your joining age and the pension you pick: from ₹42 at age 18 to ₹1,454 at age 40.

Key facts

The Union Cabinet approved continuing the scheme up to FY 2030-31 on 21 January 2026. PFRDA’s figures, cited by PIB, put enrolments at 8.96 crore as on 31 March 2026.

Who can join APY

You can open an APY account if you meet all of these conditions:

• You are a citizen of India.
• You are between 18 and 40 years old on the day you join.
• You have a savings account in a bank or post office, or you open one.
• You are not, and have never been, an income-tax payer under the Income-tax Act, 1961.

The income-tax bar applies from 1 October 2022. People who joined on or before 30 September 2022 can keep their accounts whatever their tax status. If someone who joined on or after 1 October 2022 is later found to have been a taxpayer on or before the application date, the account is closed and the pension wealth built so far is paid back to them.

Each person can hold only one APY account. Nomination and spouse details are mandatory when you open it.

Monthly contribution by joining age

You pay the same amount every month from joining until you turn 60. The earlier you join, the less you pay and the longer you pay it. Selected monthly figures from the official chart:

Quarterly and half-yearly amounts are also set in the chart. At age 30, for example, a ₹5,000 pension costs ₹1,720 a quarter or ₹3,405 every six months. The full table for every age from 18 to 40 is in the scheme document on the Jan Suraksha portal.

The chart also gives the indicative sum returned to the nominee after both you and your spouse die: ₹1.7 lakh for a ₹1,000 pension, rising in steps to ₹8.5 lakh for ₹5,000.

The ₹1,000 to ₹5,000 figure is a minimum. If the invested money earns less than expected, the Central Government makes up the shortfall. If it earns more, the pension can be higher.

How to open an APY account

At a bank or post office

1. Go to the branch where you hold your savings account.
2. Ask for the APY registration form and fill it in, including spouse and nominee details.
3. Give your Aadhaar number and mobile number.
4. Choose the pension amount and whether you will pay monthly, quarterly or half-yearly.
5. Keep enough balance for the first auto-debit, and sign the auto-debit mandate.
6. Collect the acknowledgement. You get a PRAN (Permanent Retirement Account Number), and contribution updates come by SMS on your registered mobile.

Online through e-APY

Banks that provide digital onboarding let you enrol through e-APY. Your details are fetched through Aadhaar, and the contribution is set up as auto-debit from your account. Once enrolled, you can download the e-PRAN and transaction statement free from the Protean CRA website or the “APY and NPS Lite” mobile app.

For other central savings and pension schemes, see our government financial schemes page.

Changing pension amount, exit and death benefit

Upgrade or downgrade

You can change your pension amount once a year by submitting the APY Subscriber Modification Form at your branch. An upgrade needs you to pay the difference in contributions; a downgrade returns the excess. A newer re-fixation method lets you upgrade by paying a higher contribution based on your current age, with no lump sum.

Leaving before 60

You can close the account early by submitting the Account Closure Form (Voluntary Exit) at your branch. You get back your contributions plus the net income earned on them, after account maintenance charges. Those who joined before 31 March 2016 and received the government co-contribution lose that co-contribution and its earnings on voluntary exit. Keep the linked savings account open until the money is credited.

If the subscriber dies

Claims are made with the APY Closure Form (Death) and a copy of the death certificate at the branch.

Penalty for missed contributions

If the auto-debit fails, the bank collects overdue interest of ₹1 for every ₹100 of contribution, or part of it, for each month of delay. On a ₹577 monthly contribution, one month late costs ₹6.

PFRDA says an APY account is never closed only because contributions stopped. You can regularise it at any time by paying the overdue amounts with interest. Maintenance charges keep being deducted in the meantime, so a long gap eats into the balance. Keep enough money in the linked account on the debit date.

If you want a larger retirement income than ₹5,000, look at the National Pension System, where the payout is not tied to a fixed pension slab, and plan the gap with our retirement planning guide.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Atal Pension Yojana scheme?

A voluntary pension scheme run by the Central Government and administered by PFRDA. You contribute regularly until 60 and then receive a guaranteed monthly pension of ₹1,000 to ₹5,000 for life.

Can an income-tax payer join APY?

No. From 1 October 2022, anyone who is or has been an income-tax payer cannot open an APY account. Accounts opened on or before 30 September 2022 continue.

What is the maximum age to join APY?

40 years. You must be at least 18.

How much do I pay for a ₹5,000 pension?

₹210 a month if you join at 18, ₹577 at 30 and ₹1,454 at 40, paid until you turn 60.

Can I have two APY accounts?

No. Only one APY account is allowed per person.

What happens if I stop paying?

The account stays open and you can restart by paying the missed amounts with overdue interest of ₹1 per ₹100 per month. Maintenance charges continue to be deducted while it is unpaid.

How do I check my APY balance?

Download the e-PRAN and transaction statement from the Protean CRA website or the APY and NPS Lite app, or call the toll-free helpline 1800 889 1030.

Sources

• Atal Pension Yojana: details of the scheme and contribution chart — Jan Suraksha portal, Department of Financial Services (checked 16 Sep 2026)
• Atal Pension Yojana FAQs — PFRDA (checked 16 Sep 2026)
• APY subscriber information brochure — Protean CRA (NSDL) (checked 16 Sep 2026)
• Cabinet approves continuation of APY till 2030-31 — PIB, 21 January 2026 (checked 16 Sep 2026)
• India’s pension landscape (APY enrolments as on 31 March 2026) — PIB, 7 May 2026 (checked 16 Sep 2026)