Bihar Integrated Social Protection Strengthening Project (BISPS)

Scheme Introduction: A Brief Overview

Bihar Samekit Samajik Suraksha Sudridhikaran Yojana refers to the Bihar Integrated Social Protection Strengthening Project (BISPS), a World Bank-supported project of the Department of Social Welfare and the Rural Development Department, Government of Bihar, implemented on the Social Welfare side by the State Society for Ultra Poor and Social Welfare (SSUPSW) under the brand name SAKSHAM. The project rebuilt the machinery through which Bihar delivers its social security pension, and that machinery is what matters to a pensioner today.

Bihar now runs one of the largest social security pension systems in the country, paying a monthly pension to senior citizens, widows and persons with disabilities across all 38 districts through six schemes. The Directorate of Social Security administers every one of them on a single online platform, the Social Security Pension Management Information System (SSPMIS), and credits the money directly into the beneficiary's bank account. Since July 2025, the pension has stood at ₹1,100 per month, following a ₹700 hike announced by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Applications stay open all year, and no last date has been notified for any scheme.

This distinction matters for anyone searching for a pension. The Project was an institutional reform programme, not a cash benefit. It had no application form, no eligibility list, and no last date, and it closed on 30 September 2020. What it did was strengthen the machinery through which Bihar pays its pensions, including the Social Security Pension Management Information System (SSPMIS) and a network of social care service centres known as Buniyad Kendra, along with mobile therapy vans for older persons, widows and persons with disabilities. That system is the reason a Bihar pensioner today can register online, track an application, and receive money by Direct Benefit Transfer.

The pensions themselves continue in full force. Six schemes run on the SSPMIS portal under the Directorate of Social Security, Department of Social Welfare, Government of Bihar: Mukhyamantri Vridhjan Pension Yojana (MVPY), Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS), Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme (IGNWPS), Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme (IGNDPS), Laxmibai Samajik Suraksha Pension Yojana and Bihar State Disability Pension, also known as Bihar Nishakt Vyakti Pension Yojana. 

The objective of the project explains why it took this shape. Bihar set out to strengthen the institutional capacity of the Department of Social Welfare and the Rural Development Department to deliver social protection programmes and services, and to expand the outreach of social care services for poor and vulnerable households, persons with disabilities, older persons and widows in the state. The state already ran large welfare programmes at the time, but weak systems caused delayed payments, wrong bank accounts, and poor outreach in rural areas. The project therefore worked on two fronts.

The first strengthened systems and capacity - the implementing agencies at state, district, and block levels, financial management systems, staff capacity, and monitoring and accountability mechanisms. The second strengthened outreach and service delivery on the ground, through social care service centres, mobile therapy outreach, community-based rehabilitation models and small pilots for community-level work. Every reform a pensioner notices today, from online registration to DBT credit and online status tracking, traces back to this objective.

Bihar Social Security Pension Schemes: Complete Details

Six pension schemes run on SSPMIS under the Directorate of Social Security. Three are centrally sponsored schemes under the National Social Assistance Programme, and three are Bihar state schemes. Identify the scheme that fits your situation before applying, because eligibility differs sharply between them.

1. Mukhyamantri Vridhjan Pension Yojana (MVPY)

MVPY is Bihar's own old-age pension scheme, commonly searched as Bihar vridha pension yojana. It is the only one of the six that accepts direct online registration by the citizen on SSPMIS.

• Monthly pension: ₹1,100.
• Minimum age: 60 years.
• EPIC, that is, the Voter ID card, is mandatory.
• Aadhaar card is mandatory.
• Aadhaar consent and bank account details for Direct Benefit Transfer are mandatory.
• The scheme prescribes no income limit.

2. Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS)

IGNOAPS is a centrally sponsored scheme under NSAP for elderly persons from below poverty line households. Bihar introduced it in 1995, and it was renamed in 2007.

• Age: 60 years or above.
• The applicant must belong to a household below the poverty line as per Government of India criteria.
• Monthly pension: ₹200 (60-79 years), ₹500 (80+ years).

3. Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme (IGNWPS)

This centrally sponsored scheme, commonly searched as Bihar vidhwa pension yojana, supports widows from poor households.

• The applicant must be a widow.
• Age: 40 to 79 years, as stated on SSPMIS.
• The household must be below the poverty line as per Government of India criteria.
• Monthly pension: ₹300 per month as Central Assistance to eligible widows, ₹500 per month after attaining 80 years of age under NSAP.

4. Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme (IGNDPS)

This centrally sponsored disability pension, searched as Bihar divyang pension, carries one clear exclusion that applicants must check before applying.

• Monthly pension: ₹300 (18-79 years), ₹500 (80 years & above).
• A disability certificate showing 80 per cent or more disability is mandatory, covering severe and multiple disabilities.
• Age: 18 years and above.
• The applicant must belong to a household below the poverty line.
• An applicant already receiving a state social security pension is not eligible under this scheme.

5. Laxmibai Samajik Suraksha Pension Yojana

Bihar runs this state scheme to cover widows who fall outside the central widow pension scheme, which begins only at the age of 40. It brings younger widows into the social security net.

• All widows above 18 years of age are covered.
• Annual family income must be below ₹60,000.
• Monthly pension: ₹1,100 under the revised rate for widows effective from July 2025.

6. Bihar State Disability Pension (Bihar Rajya Nishaktta Pension Yojana)

This state scheme covers persons with disabilities who do not receive the central disability pension. It has neither an age limit nor an income limit, which makes it the widest of Bihar's disability pension provisions.

• A disability certificate showing a minimum of 40 per cent disability is mandatory.
• No minimum or maximum age limit applies.
• No income ceiling applies.
• The applicant must have been a resident of Bihar for at least 10 years.
• A person cannot draw a state social security pension and IGNDPS at the same time.
• Monthly pension: ₹1,100 under the revised rate for persons with disability effective from July 2025.

Scheme Benefits

The benefits reaching a Bihar pensioner combine the cash pension with the delivery improvements built under the project. The main benefits are listed below.

• Monthly pension of ₹1,100 under Mukhyamantri Vridhjan Pension Yojana.
• Payment by Direct Benefit Transfer into the beneficiary's own bank account.
• No income ceiling under MVPY and Bihar State Disability Pension.
• No age ceiling under Bihar State Disability Pension.
• Free online registration for MVPY, without visiting any government office.
• Free online tracking of application status, Aadhaar authentication status and payment status.
• Social care, therapy and rehabilitation support through the Buniyad Kendra network set up for older persons, widows and persons with disabilities.
• A statutory time limit of 21 days for pension services notified under the Bihar Right to Public Service Act, 2011, with a defined appeal route.

Eligibility Requirements

Eligibility varies from scheme to scheme, so check the conditions of the scheme you intend to apply under rather than assuming a common rule. The consolidated position across the six schemes appears below.

• Residence: the applicant must be a resident of Bihar. Bihar State Disability Pension requires residence in Bihar for at least 10 years.
• Age for old age pension: 60 years or above under both MVPY and IGNOAPS.
• Age for widow pension: 40 to 79 years under IGNWPS; above 18 years under Laxmibai Samajik Suraksha Pension Yojana.
• Age for disability pension: no age limit under Bihar State Disability Pension.
• Income: below poverty line status as per Government of India criteria for IGNOAPS and IGNWPS; annual family income below ₹60,000 for Laxmibai Samajik Suraksha Pension Yojana. MVPY and Bihar State Disability Pension prescribe no income limit.
• Disability: a disability certificate of at least 80 percent or more is required for IGNDPS, and 40 percent for Bihar State Disability Pension.
• Identity documents: Aadhaar and EPIC are mandatory for MVPY, along with Aadhaar consent and bank account details for DBT.
• Bank account: MVPY registration requires an account with a nationalised bank and a branch associated with Bihar.

Who is not eligible

Official ineligibility conditions are limited and specific. Only the following two conditions apply.

• A person already receiving a state social security pension cannot claim Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension.
• A person cannot draw a state social security pension and IGNDPS at the same time.

Required Documents

The documents you need depend on the scheme and the route you choose. For MVPY, SSPMIS specifies the uploads exactly. For the other five schemes, the notified service list of the Social Welfare Department applies, and only the documents relevant to your scheme are required.

Documents for online MVPY registration

• Aadhaar card
• Voter ID, that is, the EPIC card
• Bank passbook
• Passport-size photograph

Documents for the other five schemes through the RTPS route

• Aadhaar card
• Age proof
• Residence certificate
• Income certificate
• BPL certificate, where the scheme requires below poverty line status
• Death certificate of the husband, for widow pension
• Disability certificate, for disability pension
• Bank account details
• Self-declaration, as prescribed

Steps to Apply

Bihar provides different application routes for different schemes. Mukhyamantri Vridhjan Pension Yojana accepts direct online registration on SSPMIS, while the remaining five schemes are notified services under the Bihar Right to Public Service Act, 2011 and are applied for through the RTPS counter, a CSC or the ServicePlus portal. Follow the route that matches your scheme.

Method 1: Apply online for Mukhyamantri Vridhjan Pension Yojana on SSPMIS

This is the fastest route for any resident of Bihar aged 60 years or above. Keep your Aadhaar, Voter ID, bank passbook, and photograph ready in the prescribed file sizes before you begin.

• Open the SSPMIS Portal and click Register for MVPY.
• Fill in your personal and address details.
• Enter your Aadhaar number with the name exactly as on Aadhaar, and your Voter ID number
• Select your account number length, then enter your bank details. Use a nationalised bank and branch associated with Bihar.
• Upload the Aadhaar, Voter ID, and bank passbook as PDFs of up to 200 KB each, and the photograph as a JPG of 30 KB to 50 KB.
• Accept the declaration and submit the form, then save the acknowledgement shown on screen.

Method 2: Apply offline at the RTPS counter or Block office

Applicants for the other five schemes usually apply through the Block. This route suits anyone who needs help with documents or has no internet access.

• Collect the application form for your scheme from the RTPS counter at the Block office or the Sub-Divisional Office
• Fill it in and attach the required original documents
• Submit it and keep the acknowledgement receipt, which carries the RTPS application number you need for tracking
• The Block Development Officer is the designated officer, and the service must be delivered within 21 days, excluding government holidays

Method 3: Apply through a CSC or Vasudha Kendra

Citizens who prefer assisted service can apply at a Common Service Centre, where the operator submits the form on your behalf.

• Visit your nearest CSC or Vasudha Kendra with all original documents
• Ask the operator to submit the application through the ServicePlus or Digital Seva Connect login
• Check every entry on screen before submission, then collect the acknowledgement receipt

Method 4: Apply online through ServicePlus, the Bihar RTPS portal

Bihar also allows online submission of the notified pension services. Use this route if you are comfortable filling the form yourself.

• Register and log in to the Bihar RTPS portal
• Select the Social Welfare Department, then the relevant social security pension service
• Fill in the form, upload the documents, submit, and download the acknowledgement

Appeal process

If your application is not decided within the statutory time limit, the Bihar Right to Public Service Act, 2011 gives you a defined appeal route.

• The first appeal lies with the Sub-Divisional Officer, who must decide within 15 working days
• The second appeal lies with the District Magistrate, who must decide within 15 working days
• Appeals can also be filed online on the RTPS appeal portal at https://rtpsappeal.bihar.gov.in/

Payment Details and DBT

Bihar pays all six social security pensions electronically, which was one of the central reforms strengthened under the project. The payment arrangement works as follows.

• Pension is credited via Direct Benefit Transfer directly into the beneficiary's bank account
• Aadhaar is mandatory at registration, and the applicant must consent to Aadhaar verification
• MVPY applicants must use an account with a nationalised bank and a branch associated with Bihar
• The SSPMIS home page links to the PFMS Know Your Payment utility for checking a credit
• Beneficiaries can verify disbursement on the e-Labharthi portal using their Beneficiary ID, Aadhaar number, or bank account number

Important Links

• Social Welfare Department, Bihar
• SSPMIS, Directorate of Social Security, Bihar

Contact Information

• Social Welfare Department, Bihar Helpline Numbers:
  • 0612-2217244
  • 0612-2217239
• Social Welfare Department, Bihar Helpdesk Emails:
  • [email protected]
  • [email protected]
• SSPMIS, Bihar Contact Details