Benazir Income Support Programme
بینظیر انکم سپورٹ پروگرام | |
| Abbreviation | BISP |
|---|---|
| Named after | Benazir Bhutto |
| Formation | July 2008 |
| Type | Social safety net |
| Focus | Health, Education, Social Protection, Reduce poverty, Enhance financial capacity of poor people |
| Headquarters | F-Block, Pakistan Secretariat, Islamabad, Pakistan |
| Methods | Donations, Scholarship |
| Owner | Government of Pakistan |
Chairperson of BISP | Vacant |
| Affiliations | Government of Pakistan |
Budget | US$ 1.15 Billion[1] |
Employees | 2,381[2] |
| Website | bisp |
The Punjab government has launched registration of poor and deserving families under the Ehsaas Program 8171 through the Punjab Socio-Economic Registry (PSER). In 2025, eligible households are receiving quarterly cash payments of Rs. 13,500 under the Benazir Kafaalat Program, along with education and health support. Now, women can also complete their registration through NSER survey centers and BISP offices.
The Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) is a programme of the Pakistani government to fight against poverty.[3]
It has been implemented in the provinces of Punjab, Sindh, Baluchistan, and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. The program also operates in the federally administered regions of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and the Islamabad Capital Territory.
Eligibility
To be eligible for cash payments under BISP, families must earn less than RS 13,500 per month; equivalent to $47. Further eligibility requirements stipulate that:
- Families must have a female applicant holding a valid ID card
- An individual applicant must be a widowed or divorced woman without male family members
- Eligible families include those with physically or mentally disabled individuals
Families deemed ineligible for cash payments through BISP include those with:
- Members employed by the Pakistani government, army, or any other government-affiliated agency
- Members drawing a pension or receiving post-retirement benefits from the government
- Family members owning more than 3 acres of farmland or more than 80 square yards of residential land
- Members receiving income from other sources
- Members holding a machine readable passport
- Members with a National Identity Card for Overseas citizens
- Members with a bank account excluding microfinance banks and those catering to low-income families[4]
List of Chairpersons of Benazir Income Support Program
| Name of Chairperson | Entered Office | Left Office |
|---|---|---|
| Farzana Raja | July 2008 | March 2013 |
| Vacant | March 2013 | November 2013 |
| Enver Baig | November 2013 | November 2014 |
| Vacant | November 2014 | February 2015 |
| Marvi Memon | February 2015 | June 2018 |
| Vacant | June 2018 | October 2018 |
| Sania Nishtar | October 2018 | April 2022 |
| Shazia Marri | April 2022 | 9 May 2024 |
| Rubina Khalid | 9 May 2024 | Present |
References
- ↑ "Ehsaas Income Support Programme buget". pass.gov.pk. Archived from the original on 7 August 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
- ↑ "Ehsaas Income Support Programme". pass.gov.pk. Archived from the original on 17 October 2018. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
- ↑ "DFID lauds BISP performance by giving it overall 'A' rating". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 12 January 2017.
- ↑ "How To Apply For Benazir Kafaalat Program to Financial Assistance". 8171 BISP Eligibility Check Using CNIC. Retrieved 19 September 2025.