Department of Pensions begins Rs. 3,000 allowance payments

The Department of Pensions yesterday commenced disbursing a monthly interim allowance of Rs. 3,000 to all pensioners, a statement issued by President’s Media Division noted.

“Starting today, a monthly interim allowance of Rs. 3,000 will be credited to all pensioners’ accounts. Pensioners with bank accounts will get it today, while those using Post Offices can access it from the 18 October,” President Anura Kumara Dissanayake shared via a post on X. 

Accordingly, the funds have been credited to the bank accounts of pensioners receiving pensions from public and private banks yesterday.

“Those receiving pensions from Post Offices and Sub-Offices will be able to access their allowance from tomorrow (18),” the PMD added. 

Looking into the delays in disbursing the proposed monthly interim allowance of Rs. 3,000 for pensioners, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake recently directed that the necessary funds be released from the Treasury.

In line with these directives, the Treasury has allocated the required amount to the Department of Pensions, which began crediting the allowances to pensioners’ accounts yesterday.

Although Public Administration Circular No. 02/2024, issued on 24 August 2024, called for the monthly interim allowance, funding had not been allocated. 

Following a Cabinet meeting on 14 October, the Treasury Operations Department had allocated Rs. 2,021 million for 679,960 pensioners this month, as a result of which the head office of the Department of Pensions began disbursing this allowance starting today.