The Ehsaas Programme is a social safety net and poverty alleviation initiative launched by the Government of Pakistan on March 27, 2019, under Prime Minister Imran Khan. It was designed to build a welfare state through 134 policy actions organized across four strategic pillars. The programme targets extremely poor households, widows, orphans, disabled persons, daily wage earners, and low income families across all provinces of Pakistan.
What Is the Ehsaas Programme
The Ehsaas Programme, which translates to compassion in Urdu, stands as the most comprehensive federal poverty reduction framework in Pakistan history. Administered under the Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division, it transformed and expanded the Benazir Income Support Programme into a multidimensional system. It encompasses more than ten distinct subprogrammes, each addressing a specific dimension of poverty including food insecurity, unemployment, lack of education, and inadequate healthcare for vulnerable populations.
History and Launch of the Ehsaas Programme
The PTI party, which won the 2018 general elections, included a social protection framework in its election manifesto. Prime Minister Imran Khan formally launched the Ehsaas Programme on March 27, 2019, as the flagship welfare initiative of his government. The programme was designed to address elite capture of state resources, reduce inequality between wealthy and poor citizens, and extend financial services to underserved communities throughout Pakistan.
Sania Nishtar, appointed as Special Assistant to the Prime Minister and Chairperson of BISP, was the principal architect behind the programme design and implementation. She oversaw the development of 134 policy actions spanning poverty data collection, digital financial inclusion, women economic empowerment, and human capital investment. International observers credited her leadership with making the Ehsaas Programme one of the most effectively designed social protection initiatives in the developing world.
The Four Pillars of the Ehsaas Programme
The Ehsaas Programme was built on four foundational pillars that guided its policy framework and programme design. The first pillar focused on eliminating elite capture and corruption within state institutions. The second pillar aimed to create precision safety nets for the most vulnerable segments of society. The third pillar concentrated on generating jobs and livelihoods for low income individuals, while the fourth addressed human capital formation.
Human capital formation, the fourth pillar, encompassed investments in health, education, and nutrition for the poor in Pakistan. The Ehsaas Programme was grounded in Article 38D of the Constitution, which commits the state to promoting the social and economic wellbeing of all citizens. Constitutional backing gave the programme a legal foundation that distinguished it from previous welfare initiatives, which lacked formal government commitment and institutional accountability structures.
Subprogrammes Under the Ehsaas Programme
The Ehsaas Programme is not a single scheme but a comprehensive network of targeted welfare interventions. Each subprogramme is designed for a specific beneficiary group and funded through dedicated budget allocations. The Government of Pakistan developed these components to ensure no segment of the vulnerable population was overlooked, covering needs from infant nutrition to postsecondary education access and emergency income support during periods of economic hardship and national crisis.
Ehsaas Kafaalat Monthly Cash Transfer Programme
Ehsaas Kafaalat is the flagship cash transfer component of the Ehsaas Programme, providing regular monthly stipends to poor women across Pakistan. The programme was initially designed to cover 4.5 million deserving families and was expanded to reach 7 million beneficiaries by 2020 and more than 10 million by 2021. Eligible women receive payments directly into a dedicated mobile wallet or through biometric verification at designated payment centers.
Bank Alfalah and other designated financial institutions partnered with the government to facilitate Kafaalat disbursements through the branchless banking network. This approach ensured that women in remote and rural areas could access their payments without traveling to urban banking branches. The Ehsaas Kafaalat programme also served as a major driver of financial inclusion, as millions of women opened their first formal bank accounts to receive these government transfers.
Digital Financial Inclusion and Ehsaas Kafaalat
One of the most significant indirect impacts of the Ehsaas Kafaalat programme was its contribution to digital financial inclusion among women in Pakistan. By requiring female beneficiaries to receive payments through mobile wallets linked to their CNICs, the programme introduced millions of women to the formal financial system for the first time. This transformed Kafaalat from a cash transfer programme into a broader financial empowerment initiative with lasting economic impact.
Ehsaas Nashonuma Nutrition and Maternal Health Programme
Ehsaas Nashonuma is a conditional cash transfer programme focused on combating child stunting and improving maternal nutrition in Pakistan. Eligible families receive financial assistance conditional on meeting health checkup requirements for pregnant women, lactating mothers, and children under two years of age. The programme targets union councils with the highest recorded rates of stunting and malnutrition, concentrating resources where nutritional deficits are most severe and consequential.
Ehsaas Taleemi Wazaif Scholarship for Low Income Students
Ehsaas Taleemi Wazaif is an educational stipend programme providing monthly financial support to students from low income households to reduce dropout rates in primary and secondary schools. The scholarship is conditional on regular school attendance and is paid directly to the mother or female guardian of the enrolled student. A separate Ehsaas Undergraduate Scholarship, administered in collaboration with the Higher Education Commission, supports students at the university level.
Waseela e Taleem and HEC Scholarships Under Ehsaas
Waseela e Taleem is a conditional cash transfer programme within the Ehsaas education framework that provides stipends to families conditional on maintaining primary school enrollment for their children. Unlike Taleemi Wazaif, which operates nationwide, Waseela e Taleem targets households most at risk of child school dropout based on poverty score thresholds. Both programmes form a comprehensive educational safety net within the Ehsaas Programme for children in low income households.
Ehsaas Aamdan Livelihood and Income Programme
Ehsaas Aamdan is a livelihood programme within the Ehsaas framework that focuses on income generation for poor households through asset transfers, skills training, and microfinance access. It targets families in the lowest income tiers who are capable of economic activity but lack initial resources to participate in productive work. The programme provides livestock, equipment, and vocational training to help beneficiaries transition from welfare dependence toward sustainable independent livelihoods.
Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme During the Coronavirus Pandemic
The Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme was launched in April 2020 in response to the economic disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic and associated lockdowns across Pakistan. The programme provided single cash grants to daily wage workers and informal sector employees who lost income due to pandemic restrictions. It distributed Rs. 160.43 billion to 13.2 million families, reaching beneficiaries in urban and rural areas within a remarkably short period.
The World Bank recognized the Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme as one of the top global social protection measures deployed during the pandemic. The organization noted that Pakistan ranked highly in actual coverage compared to planned coverage rates, reflecting strong execution capacity. This recognition elevated the Ehsaas Programme as a model for other developing nations building rapid response social protection mechanisms during economic crises.
Ehsaas Rashan Riayat Ehsaas Humqadam and Ehsaas Tahafuz
Ehsaas Rashan Riayat was a targeted food subsidy component within the Ehsaas Programme that provided eligible households with discounted essential commodities through designated utility stores and retail outlets across Pakistan. The Ehsaas Humqadam programme addressed the needs of persons with disabilities by providing dedicated financial assistance and vocational rehabilitation services. Both programmes illustrate the breadth of the Ehsaas framework in addressing dimensions of poverty beyond simple income deficiency.
Ehsaas Tahafuz is a health financing component of the Ehsaas Programme that provides protection against catastrophic healthcare expenses for enrolled low income households. Beneficiaries receive subsidized health insurance coverage at empaneled hospitals and health facilities across Pakistan. The programme addresses the financial barrier to healthcare that is a leading cause of households falling deeper into poverty, a problem affecting millions of Pakistani families seeking hospital treatment each year.
Ehsaas Panaah Gah Homeless Shelter Network
Ehsaas Panaah Gah is the homeless shelter programme within the Ehsaas framework, providing temporary accommodation, meals, and basic services to urban homeless populations across Pakistan. Shelter facilities were established in major cities including Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, and Peshawar to accommodate individuals and families with no fixed place of residence. The programme represented a direct welfare intervention targeting one of the most socially marginalized groups in Pakistani society.
Ehsaas Programme Eligibility Criteria
Eligibility for the Ehsaas Programme is determined through a combination of household data collected via the National Socioeconomic Registry and a poverty scoring methodology called the Proxy Means Test. The NSER survey gathers information on household income, assets, employment status, number of dependents, and housing conditions. This data is processed to generate a PMT score that places each household on a poverty ranking scale used to determine programme eligibility.
Who Is Eligible for the Ehsaas Programme
The Ehsaas Programme targets individuals and families falling below a specified poverty threshold based on their PMT score. Priority groups include widows, elderly citizens, orphaned children, households headed by persons with disabilities, daily wage laborers, poor farmers, and women with no formal income. A household must hold a valid Computerized National Identity Card issued by NADRA to qualify for registration at an Ehsaas center.
Ehsaas eligibility also considers household characteristics such as female headship, presence of children of school age, and geographic location in lagging districts. Families in districts classified among the lowest in the multidimensional poverty index receive additional weighting in the PMT calculation. This geographic targeting mechanism ensures the programme concentrates resources in areas where poverty is most severe and where formal employment and financial services are least accessible.
How the NSER Survey Determines Ehsaas Eligibility
The National Socioeconomic Registry survey is conducted by government field teams who visit households to collect socioeconomic data. Survey enumerators record information about family size, income sources, land ownership, livestock, durables ownership, utility consumption, and housing quality. This data forms the household poverty profile that feeds into the PMT scoring calculation. Families that were never visited by an NSER survey team can report their details at designated BISP tehsil offices.
A common issue faced by households in remote areas is the absence of an NSER survey visit, which leaves them unregistered and ineligible for any Ehsaas subprogramme. In such cases, the household head should visit the nearest BISP tehsil office with a valid CNIC and request a household survey. The government has also established periodic Ehsaas registration drives to capture previously unregistered deserving families in underserved districts.
Understanding the PMT Score in the Ehsaas Programme
The Proxy Means Test score, commonly referred to as the PMT score, is a numerical value assigned to each registered household to estimate its level of poverty. It is calculated using a weighted formula that incorporates data points from the NSER survey including income indicators, asset ownership, household size, and geographic location. A lower PMT score indicates greater poverty, and households below a defined threshold qualify for Ehsaas subprogrammes.
The PMT scoring system has been a source of confusion for households whose conditions appear similar to enrolled beneficiaries yet who receive an ineligible result. This discrepancy often arises because the formula accounts for assets and expenditure patterns not always accurately reported. Households that believe their score does not reflect their actual poverty level have the right to challenge the determination through the official Ehsaas complaint mechanism at BISP offices.
How to Check Ehsaas Programme Eligibility via 8171
The 8171 SMS service is the official digital channel provided by BISP and the Ehsaas Programme for Pakistanis to check their eligibility status using their Computerized National Identity Card number. This service is accessible from any mobile phone in Pakistan, including basic feature phones that do not require internet connectivity. The 8171 portal at 8171.bisp.gov.pk also offers an online version of the same eligibility check for users with internet access.
Step by Step Process for the 8171 SMS Eligibility Check
To check Ehsaas eligibility via SMS, the applicant opens the messaging application on any mobile phone and types the thirteen digit CNIC number without spaces. The message is sent to the short code 8171. BISP processes the request and returns an automated SMS response within a few minutes, indicating whether the registered household is eligible, ineligible, or pending for the Ehsaas Programme.
The 8171 SMS response includes the registration status, the name of the primary beneficiary, and guidance on where to collect the payment or complete biometric verification. The message is delivered in Urdu or English depending on the mobile service provider settings. Users who do not receive a reply within 24 hours should resend the CNIC to 8171 or visit the official BISP portal at 8171.bisp.gov.pk.
What to Do After an Ineligible Response from 8171
Receiving an ineligible response from the 8171 service does not permanently disqualify a household from the Ehsaas Programme. The response indicates that the household does not meet the current PMT threshold, is unregistered in the NSER database, or has a data discrepancy in NADRA records. In any of these cases, the household should visit the nearest BISP tehsil office to investigate the specific reason for ineligibility.
Ehsaas Programme Registration and Application Process
Registration for the Ehsaas Programme is conducted in person at BISP tehsil offices and designated Ehsaas registration centers located throughout Pakistan. Unlike many government welfare systems globally, Ehsaas does not accept online registration forms because identity verification and biometric data collection require physical presence. The government established a countrywide network of Ehsaas centers specifically to ensure accessible registration points, particularly in districts with high concentrations of eligible households.
Documents Required for Ehsaas Registration
The primary document required for Ehsaas Programme registration is a valid Computerized National Identity Card for the female head of household or primary applicant. The CNIC must be issued by NADRA and must not be expired at the time of registration. Additional documents may include a birth certificate for children, a disability certificate for relevant households, and school enrollment proof for applicants seeking the Taleemi Wazaif stipend.
How to Complete Registration at an Ehsaas Centre
The registration process begins when an applicant visits the nearest BISP tehsil office or Ehsaas registration drive with a CNIC and supporting documents. A registration officer collects household data, records biometric information including fingerprints, and enters details into the NSER database. The applicant receives a registration receipt that can be used to follow up on the application status and confirm that data was correctly captured.
After registration, the NSER data is processed and a PMT score is calculated for the household. Notification of eligibility is sent to the mobile number linked to the CNIC in NADRA records. Eligible applicants must then complete biometric verification at a designated payment center before receiving the first Ehsaas payment. This step serves as a final identity confirmation to prevent fraud and ensure payments reach the correct beneficiary.
Ehsaas Kafaalat Payment Amounts and Disbursement Schedule
The Ehsaas Kafaalat payment amount has been adjusted multiple times to account for inflation and the rising cost of living in Pakistan. Payments are disbursed quarterly through a biometric payment system at designated outlets and Bank Alfalah branchless banking agents. Beneficiaries should confirm the current payment figure through the official BISP website or the 8171 portal, as amounts are updated with each federal budget announcement.
How to Check Ehsaas Programme Payment Status
Beneficiaries can check their Ehsaas payment status by sending their CNIC number to 8171 via SMS on any mobile network. The system responds with details about the latest payment, including whether funds have been released, the payment date, and the nearest agent or outlet for collection. Beneficiaries can also visit the 8171.bisp.gov.pk web portal, enter their CNIC, and access a detailed payment history and status report.
The Relationship Between the Ehsaas Programme and BISP
The Benazir Income Support Programme, known as BISP, was established in 2008 as the first national unconditional cash transfer initiative in Pakistan. When the PTI government launched the Ehsaas Programme in 2019, BISP was restructured within the broader Ehsaas umbrella rather than being discontinued. The Ehsaas Programme expanded the scope of BISP significantly by adding new welfare components and modernizing the household targeting and payment disbursement systems.
The structural overlap between Ehsaas and BISP is a frequent source of confusion for beneficiaries and the general public. Both systems use the same NSER database, the same 8171 verification service, and the same BISP tehsil office network. The primary distinction is that BISP is the institutional delivery body while the Ehsaas Programme is the overarching policy framework governing all poverty reduction subprogrammes.
How the Ehsaas Programme Evolved After 2022
Following the removal of the PTI government through a parliamentary vote of no confidence in April 2022, the new coalition government led by Shahbaz Sharif rebranded the programme by reverting emphasis to the BISP name while continuing most of the Ehsaas subprogrammes with revised payment structures. The Ehsaas Kafaalat programme was renamed the Benazir Kafaalat programme, and scholarship initiatives were similarly rebranded under the Benazir nomenclature.
Despite the name changes, the operational structure, NSER database, 8171 helpline, and core beneficiary base remained largely intact. Existing beneficiaries continued receiving payments without interruption in most cases, and the BISP tehsil office network remained the primary access point for registration and complaints. This continuity reflects the institutional depth that the Ehsaas Programme had built into the social protection infrastructure of Pakistan.
International Recognition of the Ehsaas Programme
The Ehsaas Programme earned substantial recognition from international development institutions, most notably the World Bank, which praised the programme as a global model for social protection delivery. The World Bank doubled its financial assistance for Ehsaas after reviewing its execution, including coverage rates, digital payment infrastructure, and targeting accuracy. This endorsement positioned Pakistan as a leader in social protection innovation among lower and middle income countries in Asia.
World Bank and ADB Support for Pakistan Social Protection
In March 2021, the World Bank Board of Executive Directors approved USD 600 million in financing from the International Development Association for the Crisis Resilient Social Protection Program, known as CRISP, to support Ehsaas expansion. CRISP was designed to build an adaptive social protection system capable of rapid response to economic shocks including pandemics, natural disasters, and food price crises affecting low income households across Pakistan.
The Asian Development Bank also provided significant financial support for social protection in Pakistan, with a USD 603 million commitment to the Integrated Social Protection Development Programme that complemented the Ehsaas framework. Both the World Bank and the ADB incorporated Ehsaas into their Pakistan country programs because of its demonstrated capacity to deliver cash transfers to millions of vulnerable households using digital verification and biometric payment technology at scale.
Ehsaas Programme Coverage and Impact Data
The Ehsaas Programme covered approximately 15 million households at its peak during the coronavirus emergency response, making it one of the largest social protection rollouts in South Asia. Rs. 160 billion was disbursed through the Emergency Cash Programme alone, with cumulative Ehsaas transfers from 2019 to 2022 reaching several hundred billion rupees. These figures demonstrate the programme as the most funded social welfare initiative in Pakistan recorded history.
Provincial Variations of the Ehsaas Programme in Pakistan
While the Ehsaas Programme is a federal initiative, the Government of Pakistan devolves certain welfare responsibilities to provincial governments under the 18th Constitutional Amendment framework. This has resulted in provincial welfare systems that operate alongside the federal Ehsaas Programme, with some provinces establishing dedicated social protection authorities and funding their own complementary cash transfer and scholarship initiatives for residents not fully covered by the federal programme.
Punjab Ehsaas Programme and the Role of PSPA
Punjab established the Punjab Social Protection Authority, known as PSPA, as the dedicated agency for provincial welfare delivery. The Punjab Ehsaas Programme Act of 2022 provided a formal legal mandate for the provincial programme and institutionalized social protection at the provincial level. The Punjab Ehsaas Programme operates its own poverty registry and delivers supplementary cash transfers, scholarships, and vocational programs to residents across the province.
PSPA coordinates closely with the federal BISP network to avoid duplication of beneficiaries between provincial and federal programmes. Residents of Punjab who are enrolled in federal Ehsaas or Benazir Kafaalat may qualify for additional provincial benefits depending on their PMT score and specific eligibility criteria. The Punjab Zewar e Taleem initiative is among the most notable provincial programmes that complement the federal Taleemi Wazaif scholarship for girls education.
Ehsaas Programme in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sindh and Balochistan
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, and Balochistan each manage provincial social protection initiatives that operate in coordination with the federal Ehsaas framework. Balochistan, which has the highest poverty rates in Pakistan, receives a disproportionately larger share of federal Ehsaas allocations relative to its population to address its deeper structural poverty challenges. Provincial welfare offices in these regions work alongside federal BISP offices to register eligible households and coordinate payment distribution.
The Sindh Social Protection Authority and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Social Welfare Department both operate complementary programmes that target categories of poverty not fully addressed by the federal Ehsaas system. In particular, provinces have developed programmes targeting internally displaced persons, flood affected communities, and households in conflict affected districts. These provincial efforts demonstrate how the Ehsaas Programme model has influenced welfare delivery approaches at all levels of government in Pakistan.
How to Appeal a Rejected Ehsaas Programme Application
A rejected Ehsaas Programme application can be challenged through the official complaint and grievance mechanism operated by BISP. Valid grounds for appeal include incorrectly recorded household data in the NSER survey, expired CNIC records in the NADRA database, or a PMT score that does not reflect the actual economic condition of the household. The appeal process is open to all registered households that received an ineligible determination.
To file an appeal, the household representative visits the nearest BISP tehsil office with the original CNIC and documentary evidence supporting the claim of an error. A complaint officer records the details, assigns a tracking number, and forwards the case for field verification review. The review process typically involves a revisit to the household to reassess the NSER data points that influenced the PMT score.
Households dissatisfied with a field review outcome can escalate the complaint to the district BISP office or to federal BISP headquarters in Islamabad. The government maintains a helpline for Ehsaas and BISP related queries accessible from any mobile phone in Pakistan. Persistent complaints from a significant number of households in one district can trigger a mass resurvey exercise to update NSER records for the entire area.
Ehsaas Programme Scam Awareness and Fraud Prevention
The popularity of the Ehsaas Programme has made it a frequent target for fraudulent schemes. Criminals impersonate government officials, send fake SMS messages, and create websites mimicking the official BISP portal to steal CNIC numbers and personal information from vulnerable citizens. Awareness of these scams is essential for all current and prospective Ehsaas beneficiaries to protect themselves from financial and identity fraud.
How to Identify Fake Ehsaas Messages and Websites
The official SMS code for Ehsaas eligibility checks is 8171, and the only legitimate website for online checks is 8171.bisp.gov.pk. Any message claiming to offer Ehsaas registration through a private website, a WhatsApp link, or an unofficial mobile application should be treated as fraudulent. Citizens should never share their CNIC number with any channel other than the official 8171 SMS service or the verified BISP web portal.
Fake messages typically claim the recipient has been approved for a large Ehsaas cash grant and instruct them to provide personal details or click a link to claim the payment. The Government of Pakistan has stated that no Ehsaas payment is ever processed through private websites, unsolicited phone calls, or social media accounts. Recipients of suspicious messages should report them to the official BISP helpline without engaging with embedded links.
Government Action Against Ehsaas Fraud
The Federal Investigation Agency and law enforcement bodies have been tasked with identifying and prosecuting individuals operating fake Ehsaas registration schemes. Arrests have been made of individuals running fraudulent 8171 lookalike services, fake BISP websites, and paid WhatsApp registration groups. Citizens who fall victim to such scams should report the incident to local police, the FIA cybercrime wing, or the official BISP complaint helpline.
Readers who want to learn about the Benazir Income Support Programme will find a comprehensive guide covering eligibility criteria, NSER Dynamic Survey registration, the 8171 portal status check, quarterly Kafaalat payment amounts, Digital Wallet activation, sub programmes including Taleemi Wazaif and Nashonuma, fraud prevention, and how to appeal an ineligible result through the official BISP Tehsil office and IGMS grievance system.