What 14567 handles
- Information — doctors, hospitals, old age homes and activity centres
- Guidance — legal, Maintenance Act and pension-related queries
- Emotional support for life, anxiety and relationship concerns
- Direct intervention — abuse, and rescue of homeless or abandoned elders
PIB states Elder Line "has been made operational on toll free number 14567 in 06 States (Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh)". HelpAge India's own page separately states it "serves as the implementing partner for the Elderline – 14567 service across 6 states and Union Territories" — the rollout is partial, not nationwide, even though the number is dialable anywhere.
If the call does not resolve it
HelpAge India states it "serves as the implementing partner for the Elderline – 14567 service across 6 states and Union Territories" and describes the service as running "from offering free advice and emotional support to hands-on field interventions".
PIB states Elder Line facilitates "queries related to implementation of the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens (MWPSC) Act 2007 and Government Policies and Programmes" and provides "a grievance redressal mechanism for senior citizens".
- 112If there is an immediate threat to safety
How AI voice agents help 14567
Elderline's own coverage numbers make the gap explicit: a 12-hour window (8 AM–8 PM) run by a connect centre that HelpAge India itself says reaches only 6 states and Union Territories, against a national need. A voice AI layer extending intake to the other 16 hours a day and to states Elderline has not yet reached would not be replacing anything — it would be covering calls the current structure, by its own description, is not staffed to take at all, and it could take the bulk of what PIB lists as routine information and guidance (hospitals, old age homes, Maintenance Act and pension queries) off a human agent's queue. What it cannot do is the second half of Elder Line's model: PIB describes "a strong field support that takes care of 'on the field' interventions... in cases of abuse & rescues", and that physical intervention has to stay with the human field team Elder Line already runs — a voice agent's job ends at getting the case to them faster, never at replacing them.
Frequently asked questions
What is Elderline 14567?
Elderline (14567) is the National Helpline for Senior Citizens, set up by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment with the National Institute of Social Defence (NISD) and state governments, giving senior citizens "a single call management platform and unique number (14567)... through a National level structure", per PIB.
What hours does Elderline operate?
PIB states Elder Line "will operate on all seven days of the week from 8 AM to 8 PM since it is categorised under non-emergency service".
Is Elderline available in every state?
No. PIB's own 2021 release named only six states as operational, and HelpAge India's current page states it "serves as the implementing partner for the Elderline – 14567 service across 6 states and Union Territories" — a partial rollout, even though the number itself is dialable anywhere.
Who actually answers an Elderline call?
PIB states a "National Implementing Agency (an empowered Committee) set up by MOSJE along with NISD" hosts Elder Line together with the states, with each state identifying an agency to operationalise its own helpline; HelpAge India is the implementing partner in the states it covers.
Can an AI voice agent replace Elderline's field-intervention team?
No. PIB describes Elder Line as having "a connect centre" backed by "a strong field support that takes care of 'on the field' interventions" for abuse and rescue cases. A voice agent can extend the connect centre's hours and language coverage; it cannot perform the physical field intervention a rescue or abuse case needs, which stays with the human team.
Sources
Everything above was read off these pages on 5 October 2026.