Karnataka suspends pensions for 1.8 million beneficiaries

The Karnataka government has temporarily suspended social security pension payments to over 18 lakh beneficiaries following a statewide verification drive. As of August 13, 2026, officials identified 23,14,544 suspect cases where beneficiaries may not have met eligibility criteria.

The verification process utilized the Samyojana mobile application to cross-reference family databases against parameters such as income limits, IT payee status, APL card ownership, and Human Resource Management System records. Following the digital flagging, village accountants conducted physical verifications to collect supporting documentation for review by tahsildars.

Among the affected schemes, the Sandhya Suraksha Yojane recorded the highest number of suspect cases at 12,61,610. Other impacted programs include the Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme, widow pensions, and pensions for physically disabled individuals. The government stated that payments will be restored once beneficiaries successfully demonstrate they meet all eligibility requirements.