The Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) is a federal programme under which cash amount is distributed among poor people across Pakistan.
The initiative was launched in 2008 by then prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani at the advice of the President Asif Ali Zardari. The program’s name is a tribute to former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, who was assassinated in 2007.
The programme has been implemented in the provinces of Punjab, Sindh, Baluchistan, and Khyber-Pakhtonnkhwa. It also operates in the federally administered regions of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Islamabad.
What amount is given to a person?
Under the programme, stipends of Rs9000 are transferred every three months to women and transgender persons who are living in extreme poverty across all districts of Pakistan. The disbursement of funds is done through biometric verification at ATMs, at retail shops designated and camp sites across the country.
How to check your eligibility for Benazir Kafalat Program?
The eligibility for Benazir Kafalat Programme is determined through National Socioeconomic Registry (NSER) Survey. Families surveyed for the programme can check their eligibility, as well as the status of their disbursement online by sending a message to the 8171 web-portal by entering their Computerized National identity Card (CNIC) number or survey token number given at the time of registration.
Benazir Kafalat Program also sends messages from 8171 to surveyed families regarding their eligibility and disbursement of cash.
Benazir Card Facility
In order to save the beneficiaries from hassle of visiting the agents and site office to collect the amount, , the government has decided to restart the Benazir Card for eligible families. All eligible families can apply for the card and they will easily be able to withdraw their money from HBL Bank ATMs without any deduction
BISP service to remain suspended on June 24 and 25
The Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) has decided to temporarily suspend cash disbursements to beneficiaries on 24th and 25th June, 2023, Saturday and Sunday, in response to the ongoing heatwave affecting the country. This decision has been taken in the best interest of protecting precious lives, particularly women and children, from potential harm and inconvenience.
The move to close the cash disbursement from the designated campsites comes after careful consideration of recommendations from relevant authorities. Despite the adequate arrangements made by BISP, in coordination with provincial/regional governments and partner banks, it has been determined that the existing measures may not be sufficient to ensure the convenient and safe delivery of funds to the beneficiaries during the heatwave.
Cash disbursement on the same campsites will be resumed on Monday 26th June, 2023, and will continue until Wednesday, the 28th June, 2023, across the country . The arrangements for disbursements will remain the same as those implemented on Friday, the 23rd June, 2023.
As of 6 pm today, June 23, over 2.9 million beneficiaries have already been served, with an impressive amount of Rs. 26.12 Billion disbursed from the campsites established nationwide.
