ISLAMABAD: The Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) will provide increased financial aid to its beneficiaries because of the upcoming Ramzan month.
BISP Chairperson Senator Rubina Khalid has announced an increase in financial assistance ahead of Ramadan, under which 10 million deserving families across the country will receive enhanced support.
The Benazir Kafalat Program will increase its quarterly stipend payments from PKR 13,500 to PKR 14,500 which will be distributed during Ramzan.
The Benazir Education Stipend Program will see an increase of PKR 500 while the Benazir Nashonuma Program which provides nutritional and financial assistance to pregnant and breastfeeding women, will also receive an extra PKR 500.
The announcement provides vulnerable families with enough resources to fulfil their requirements during the Ramzan festive month.
BISP beneficiaries can now claim free SIM: here’s how
Earlier, The Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) has announced the procedure for providing free mobile SIM cards to deserving families under the Social Protection Wallet initiative. This initiative aims to enhance convenience and transparency in the payment process for eligible individuals.
According to BISP, beneficiaries registered in the program should visit their nearest BISP office or designated camp site with their original national identity card and a mobile phone. At the screening counter, their eligibility will be verified. If deemed eligible, the individual will receive a token that allows them to proceed to the SIM issuance counter.
After biometric verification at the SIM issuance stage, the deserving individual will receive a free mobile SIM card. A representative from the telecom company will activate it on the spot by inserting it into the mobile phone. The number of the issued SIMs will be saved in BISP’s database to ensure all records are complete and secure.
BISP has instructed beneficiaries not to give their issued SIM cards to anyone else and to keep the SIM active at all times. Important messages from the number 8171 will be sent to this phone.
It is important to note that BISP has introduced the ‘Social Protection Wallet’ system for fund disbursement to registered citizens, aiming to make the payment process more efficient and transparent. Chairperson of BISP, Senator Rubina Khalid, stated that the distribution of free SIM cards has begun for registered women.
Women are encouraged to visit their nearest BISP office or campsite with an identity card and mobile phone to obtain a free SIM after biometric verification, which will activate their Social Protection Wallet.
Senator Rubina Khalid emphasised that there is no fee required to obtain the SIM; this service is entirely free. She warned eligible women to avoid contacting any unauthorised individuals or institutions to set up a Social Protection Wallet, as this system can only be activated through BISP. Additionally, she stated that in the future, all financial assistance will be provided through the Social Protection Wallet, and all payment-related messages will be sent to the same SIM number.
