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 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[change | change source]
To be eligible for cash payments under BISP, families must earn less than RS 6,000 per month; equivalent to $67. 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[change | change source]
| 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 | Present |
References[change | change source]
- ↑ "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 Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme For Jobs". BOL News. Retrieved 26 September 2020.