If approved by the government, a new draft bill developed by the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs will mandate that, starting April 1, pensions in Armenia will be paid exclusively via non-cash methods.

Under the current regulations, pensioners can still receive cash payments if they are persons with severe or profound functional disabilities or are over the age of 75. Additionally, minors and legal representatives of pensioners under guardianship are also allowed to receive pensions in cash, either via power of attorney or through minors aged 14 or older, reports Factor.am .

The proposed legislation, however, introduces a full transition to a cashless system. Until March 31, pensioners will be able to submit an application to modify their payment method.

“When forming the pension payment list for April 2026, the Unified Social Service will randomly assign a bank to pensioners previously receiving cash, using a program-based module that considers the proportional distribution of beneficiaries across banks in the given locality,” the bill states.

Pensions will also be paid non-cash if, on or after April 1, 2026, the right to a pension is reinstated based on a certificate from a disability assessment commission, even without a written request from the pensioner.

According to the bill’s authors, the proposed change will not affect budget revenues but is expected to reduce government expenses due to the shift to a fully non-cash system.