Program structure
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| Program structureThe Benazir Income Support Programme |
The Benazir Income Support Programme has been implemented in the provinces of Punjab, Sindh, Baluchistan, and Khyber-Pakhtonnkhwa. The program also operates in the federally administered regions of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and the Islamabad Capital Territory.
In its first year of operation, recipients of BISP cash transfers were identified and selected by Parliamentarians through a process of recommendation. Each Parliamentarian received 8,000 forms to distribute throughout his or her constituency. Selected individuals underwent an eligibility verification process through the National Database and Registration Authority. A final list of eligible families was generated and sent to the postal service. Funds were disbursed from the Treasury directly to the postal service and then delivered to the female head of eligible households.
In April 2009, the process for identifying and selecting eligible families through Parliamentarian recommendation was ended. The identification process has been reformed and now uses a Poverty Scorecard. Through the Poverty Scorecard, families are identified through a proxy means test. The Poverty Scorecard has been approved by the World Bank and requires families to answer 13 questions regarding assets and expenses in a survey. The poverty survey has been tested in 16 districts and will be distributed nationwide.
Internal monitoring systems are being developed to track deliveries and payment amounts to eligible families. Another mechanism to address corruption and political favouritism is being considered that would allow a neutral third party access to the list of eligible families to verify eligibility.
Recently, BISP has expanded to include several special initiatives. The Waseela-e-Haq program empowers women through the provision of small loans. A vocation training program, Waseela-e-Rozgar, offers members of eligible families up to 1 year of professional training. The Waseela-e-Sehat program provides financial assistance specifically for obtaining basic health care. BISP will launch its first program that conditions cash payments on schooling. The Waseela-e-Taleem initiative will require families receiving cash payments to enroll children between the ages of 5 to 12 to enroll in primary education
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BISP also provides cash payments for emergency relief efforts. These payments are similar to the payments received by low-income families but are distributed to families affected by terrorism, war, and natural disasters such as earthquakes.
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