The government has earmarked Rs 109 billion for social security programmes in the fiscal year 2025–26, Finance Minister Bishnu Paudel announced while presenting the national budget to the joint session of Parliament on Wednesday.

In his address, Paudel outlined plans to integrate Nepal’s numerous scattered social security schemes under a single framework for greater efficiency and transparency. He further stated that all individuals benefiting from these programmes will gradually be required to possess a national identity card.

Special provisions will be made for elderly citizens, with mobile teams dispatched to assist them in obtaining national identity cards. This measure is expected to simplify the enrolment process for older beneficiaries living in remote areas.

The finance minister also clarified that no beneficiary would be eligible for duplicate benefits under different headings of social security, in an effort to eliminate redundancy, duplication and misuse.

However, contrary to expectations, the budget did not propose any change to the current eligibility age for the elderly allowance, leaving it unchanged.