The Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) is a government scheme that distributes cash to underprivileged individuals throughout Pakistan.
Under the guidance of President Asif Ali Zardari, then-Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani started the initiative in 2008. The name of the programme is a nod to former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who was assassinated in 2007.
The plan has been implemented in the Punjab, Sindh, Baluchistan, and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa provinces. It also operates in Azad Jammu & Kashmir and Islamabad, both of which are overseen by the federal government.
What amount is given to a person?
Stipends of Rs9000 are provided every three months to women and transgender people living in extreme poverty across all districts of Pakistan under the programme. Funds are disbursed through biometric verification at ATMs, selected retail stores, and campsites across the country.
How to check your eligibility for Benazir Kafalat Program?
The National Socioeconomic Registry (NSER) Survey determines eligibility for the Benazir Kafalat Programme. Families who have been surveyed for the initiative can check their eligibility and the status of their disbursement online by sending a message to the 8171 web portal and inputting their Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) number or survey token number provided at the time of registration.
The Benazir Kafalat Programme also sends messages from 8171 to surveyed homes on their eligibility and cash distribution.
Benazir Card Facility
The government has decided to relaunch the Benazir Card for eligible families in order to save recipients the trouble of visiting agents and site offices to collect the payment. All eligible families can apply for the card, which allows them to withdraw money from HBL Bank ATMs without incurring any fees.
BISP service to remain suspended on June 24 and 25
In response to the country’s ongoing heatwave, the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) has decided to temporarily stop cash payouts to beneficiaries on June 24th and 25th, 2023, Saturday and Sunday.
This decision was made to protect precious lives, particularly those of women and children, from potential injury and discomfort.
The decision to discontinue cash payments from authorised campsites was made following thorough consideration of recommendations from relevant authorities.
Must read: Pictures of the murderer of Benazir Bhutto
Despite suitable provisions made by BISP in conjunction with provincial/regional governments and partner banks, it has been decided that existing procedures may not be sufficient to ensure the timely and secure transfer of money to beneficiaries during the heatwave.
Cash disbursement on the same campsites will start on Monday, June 26th, 2023, and will continue across the country until Wednesday, June 28th, 2023. The disbursement arrangements will stay the same as they were on Friday, June 23, 2023.
As of today, over 2.9 million people have already been served, with an astonishing Rs. 26.12 billion distributed from the campsites set up across the country.
