NSAP stands for National Social Assistance Programme. NSAP was launched on 15th August 1995.

In providing social assistance benefits to poor households in the case of old age, death of the breadwinner, and maternity, the NSAP aims at ensuring minimum national standards, in addition to the benefits that the States are currently providing or might provide in future. It also aims at ensuring that social protection to the beneficiaries everywhere in the country is uniformly available without interruption.

The NSAP at its inception in 1995 had three components namely (1) National Old Age Pension Scheme (NOAPS, (2) National Family Benefit Scheme (NFBS), and (3) National Maternity Benefit Scheme (NMBS). The National Maternity Benefit Scheme (NMBS) was subsequently transferred on 1st April, 2001 from the Ministry of Rural development to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. On 1st April 2000 a new Scheme known as Annapurna Scheme was launched. This scheme aimed at providing food security to meet the requirement of those senior citizens who, though eligible, have remained uncovered under the NOAPS. In February 2009, two new Schemes known as Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme (IGNWPS) and Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme (IGNDPS) were introduced. Presently NSAP comprises of five schemes, namely - (1) Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS), (2) Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme (IGNWPS), (3) Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme (IGNDPS), (4) National Family Benefit Scheme NFBS) and (5) Annapurna.

The NSAP is implemented in the States/UTs in accordance with the general conditions applicable to all components of the NSAP as well as specific conditions applicable to each component. The NSAP Schemes are mainly implemented by the Social Welfare Departments in the States. But NSAP is implemented by Rural Development Department in the States of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Goa, Meghalaya and West Bengal; by the Department of Women & Child Development in Orissa and Puducherry; by the Revenue Department in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and by the Department of Labour Employment & Training in Jharkhand. The NSAP extends to both the rural as well as urban areas

For getting benefits under NSAP the applicant must belong to a Below Poverty Line (BPL) family according to the criteria prescribed by the Govt. of India.

As per the revised eligibility criteria, new beneficiaries will be identified from the BPL list prepared by the States/UTs as per guidelines issued by the Ministry of Rural Development (MORD) for the BPL Census 2002.

Identification of eligible beneficiaries will be carried out as per the BPL list required to be prepared in connection with the poverty alleviation program off the ministry of Urban Housing and Poverty Alleviation.

They will continue to get the pension as at present without any interruption notwithstanding the fact that their names are not borne on the BPL list, provided they were eligible as per the old criteria.

Under NSAP 100 percent Central Assistance is extended to the States/UTs to provide the benefits in accordance with the norms, guidelines, and conditions laid down by the Central Government.

The eligibility criteria under Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme (IGNWPS) is - The applicant must be a widow in the age group of 40-59 years. The applicant should belong to a household living below the poverty line according to the criteria prescribed by the Govt. of India

The central contribution of pension under the Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme (IGNWPS) is Rs. 200/- per month per beneficiary and the State Governments may contribute at least an equal amount so that a beneficiary gets at least Rs.400/- per month

The Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme (IGNWPS) was formally launched in February 2009.