The Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) has announced a 28.57% increase in its quarterly stipend for Kafaalat beneficiaries, raising it from Rs10,500 to Rs13,500.
This increase follows a one-year gap, with the previous increase made by the former caretaker federal government in January, when the quarterly stipend was raised from Rs8,750 to Rs10,500.
A ceremony marking the announcement was held at the BISP headquarters, attended by Chairperson Rubina Khalid, Secretary Amer Ali Ahmad, and other senior officials, according to an official statement released on Wednesday.
In September, BISP had confirmed that the quarterly stipend for Kafaalat beneficiaries would rise to Rs13,500 by January 2025 (this month). Additionally, the number of Kafaalat beneficiaries is set to increase from 9.3 million to 10 million this year.
It is also worth noting that BISP’s budget has grown by 27% in the current financial year. In June, the federal government raised the annual budget for BISP from Rs471.23 billion to Rs598.71 billion for the fiscal year 2024-25, which runs from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025.
