Govt announces massive increase in BISP stipend

KARACHI: The federal government has decided to boost financial assistance quite a lot under the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), meaning the quarterly stipend will go up by 24.14% from Rs. 14,000 to Rs. 18,000.

Officials have also confirmed the revised payment arrangement will kick in from January 2027, as part of wider social protection reforms meant to help low-income households while inflation keeps edging higher, and yes, things are getting expensive.

It has been reported that the government provided a written assurance to the International Monetary Fund (International Monetary Fund) on the intended increase, and that it is being matched with the current economic stabilization commitments, plus the goal of expanding the social safety net.

Besides the additional cash support, the government wants to broaden the programme’s reach by enrolling roughly 200,000 more eligible families.

This is expected to widen the protection umbrella and bring additional vulnerable households into a more formal financial support setup.

Earlier, the government floated a 20% growth in BISP funding, with the allocation fixed at Rs. 716 billion for the coming fiscal year 2025–26.

The newest update suggests a further push toward stronger welfare spending in later budget cycles. The Benazir Income Support Programme is Pakistan’s top poverty reduction initiative. It provides unconditional cash transfers to millions of low-income households.

Any upward adjustment in these stipends is treated as an important policy lever to counter inflation pressure and raise household buying strength.

The latest decision comes when Pakistan still has to juggle social welfare growth with fiscal discipline, under IMF-guided economic reforms.