Ehsaas Program 2023 – Complete Registration Details

Since the Ehsaas Program was converted back to the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP), the Government of Punjab has launched its own Punjab Ehsaas Program 2023 under the Punjab Social Protection Authority (PSPA) on the directives of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and Former Prime Minister, Imran Khan, after PML-Q’s Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, the joint candidate of PML-Q and PTI, was elected as the Chief Minister (CM) of the Province.

Furthermore, the new Ehsaas Program is being headed by Former Advisor to Prime Minister on Poverty Alleviation on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Sania Nishtar, who previous headed the Ehsaas Program on the Federal Level under the Benazir Income Support Program.

Ehsaas Program 2023

The new Ehsaas Program is based on the same principles as before, however, there is a significant decline in the monthly stipend that will be provided to beneficiaries as the program now falls under the Provincial Government of Punjab and no longer a Federal Funded Initiative. Although, it must be noted that there are several layers of the new Ehsaas Program being offered through various sub-programmes so make sure to read through the post to get details.

The Punjab Ehsaas Program 2023 has a number of ongoing initiatives as well as upcoming initiatives to help the poor segment of society across the province by providing financial aid in the form of monthly stipend ranging from Rs. 2,000 to Rs. 5,000, depending on the programme.

How to Check Eligibility For Punjab Ehsaas Program 2023?

You can check your eligibility for the Ehsaas Punjab Program 2023 through the online portal provided by the Punjab Social Protection Authority (PSPA) https://pep.pspa.gop.pk/ by simply entering your Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC) number.

Once you enter your CNIC number, the portal will inform you about your eligibility for the different initiatives of the Punjab Ehsaas Program 2023. However, there may be a chance that you are not in the database and in such a case, you will need to register yourself for one of the programmes by going to the designated program office.

We have mentioned details about all programs below.

Ehsaas Punjab Program 2023

There are several initiatives that fall under the Ehsaas Punjab Program 2023 and Punjab Social Protection Authority (PSPA) that provide monthly stipend to deserving beneficiaries through a transparent system.

Humqadam Program

Humqadam Program is an unconditional cash transfer program under the Ehsaas Punjab Program 2023 for the poor Persons With Disability (PWDs) in Punjab that pays a cash assistance of Rs. 2,000 per month through branchless banking channels of Payment Service Providers (PSP). The basic goal of Humqadam Program is to improve socio-economic wellbeing of the PWDs of the Punjab.

Project Objectives:

1. To improve the social inclusion of the PWDs in Punjab
2. To improve the subsistence of PWDs
3. To reduce the dependency of PWDs on their social network

Eligibility Criteria

1. Proxy Means Test (PMT) score should be 30 or less as available in National Socio-economic registry (NSER) as calculated by Benazir Income Support Program (BISP).
2. A person should be in possession of special CNIC/B-form issued by NADRA.

How to register For Ehsaas Humqadam Program?

You can register for the Humqadam Program through the National Prosperity Survey at any office of the Benazir Income Support Program. You can also check your eligibility for the Ehsaas Humqadam Program by sending your CNIC number in SMS to 8123.

Masawaat Program

Masawaat Program comprises of unconditional cash transfers for elderly and differently-abled Transgender Persons (TGPs), Job Opportunities and Micro Credit for promoting entrepreneurship among TGPs. Ehsaas Punjab Program 2023 is providing unconditional cash transfer under this program for elderly TGPs with the benefit amount of Rs. 3,000 per month and an unconditional cash transfer for disabled transgender persons with the benefit amount of Rs. 2,000 per month.

This program is designed with the following objectives: 

• To mainstream transgender persons, who are typically excluded from public services and programs, through providing means of livelihood, and education, health and housing services. 
• To protect transgender persons against destitution by providing support for consumption, ensuring a minimum standard of living.
• To promote human capital accumulation in transgender persons and increase their access to productive assets and income generating activities.
• To improve the health of transgender persons to protect them from health shocks.

Initially, Masawaat Program will pick a subset of interventions proposed in the Transgender Persons Welfare Policy on administrative efficiency grounds.

All registered TGPs in Punjab, will be eligible to receive interest-free loans under this program for setting up their own small businesses. PSPA in collaboration with Punjab Small Industries Corporation (PSIC) will offer interest-free loans for TGPs up to Rs.100,000.

Furthermore, there will be free and accessible medical camps for screening, treatment and medicines for TGPs that will be provided with the help of Health Departments and Private Sector companies. Meanwhile, PSPA is also planning to collaborate with other private sector organizations to create job opportunities for TGPs.

Ba-Himmat Buzurg Program

Ba-Himmat Buzurg Program aims to protect older persons aged 65 and above from livelihood risks and to enable them to live a dignified life. This program currently provides financial assistance of Rs. 2000 monthly to the elderly females of the families, who are not eligible for the Ehsaas Program (BISP). In the case of eligible female’s death as per the given criteria, the male members of the family, aged 65 years and above, are eligible.

An allocation of Rs. 2,400 million has been made for the FY 2021-22 for this program. So far, 82,000 elderly people have benefited from this initiative. This program will cover the most vulnerable individuals in Punjab and provide them with the means of meeting their financial needs.

Eligibility Criteria

• Women over sixty-five years of age
• (1601-30) Economic Prosperity Score

You can check your eligibility through the Ehsaas Punjab Program 2023 online portal mentioned above or you can visit any of the following offices to register yourself in the program.

Zewar-e-Taleem Program

Zewar-e-Taleem Program is another conditional cash transfer under the Punjab Ehsaas Program and Punjab Social Protection Authority (PSPA) for the girl students enrolled in public sector schools in 16 districts with low literacy rate.

The Purpose of this initiative is to improve enrolment and retention in schools, besides addressing their nutritional requirements, essential for adolescent girls. The initiative provides a stipend of Rs. 1,000 every month, which is disbursed through branchless banking system developed by PSPA.

The stipend is provided to girls of government schools in Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur, Bhakkar, Chiniot, DG Khan, Jhang, Kasur, Khanewal, Layyah, Lodhran, Muzaffargarh, Okara, Pakpattan, Rajanpur, Rahim Yar Khan and Vehari districts.

The fund’s disbursement is every quarter wherein funds are released on receipt of an 80% attendance report from the School Education Department. Students enrolled in grade 10 are automatically excluded from the Program upon completion of the academic session. The students dropped out of schools are also excluded from the Program.

The students enrolled in schools as a result of the annual enrolment drive by the School Education Department are getting this stipend upon successful biometric verification.

You can register for the program through the school’s administration office or DMO.

Nayee Zindagi Program

Punjab Social Protection Authority (PSPA) under “Punjab Ehsaas Program 2023” has launched “Nayee Zindagi Program” for acid attack victims and it aims to provide rehabilitation of acid attack victims through reconstructive surgeries and psychological counseling for their Socio-economic mainstreaming.

PSPA intends to work in close collaboration with the Specialized Healthcare & Medical Education Department for the provision of these services bearing the treatment cost.

Access to a rehabilitation program can decrease the consequences of damage, improve health and quality of life, and reduce the use of health services therefore, rehabilitation of these victims is instrumental in enabling them to live, as far as possible, independently and gainfully within their homes and communities.

Empowering Acid attack victims through an institutional arrangement in various fields can be a very significant step towards mainstreaming their socio-economic conditions.

This Program is designed with the following objectives: 

1. To provide medical-psychological rehabilitation to Acid Attack Victims.
2. To protect the social rights of the Acid Attack Victims of the society.
3. To prevent social exclusion of victims by enabling them to lead dignified & socially included life.
4. To reduce the vulnerability of Acid Attack Victims by Income generation through skill training & interest-free loans for jobs/self-employment.

The victims of the heinous crime of throwing acid are financially aided and thoroughly rehabilitated at the government’s expense through this program, which includes skin grafting treatment, skill-building, and interest-free loans for livelihood support.

Sila-e-Fun Program

Sila-e-Fun is another initiative of the Punjab Ehsaas Program 2023 and Punjab Social Protection Authority (PSPA) is an unconditional cash transfer program for elderly artists who have served in related fields for more than 25 years in all 36 districts of Punjab.

It will provide a dignified social pension for those elderly and needy artists, writers, poets, and media persons of Punjab who have made a notable contribution in their fields such as film, TV, literature, poetry, journalism, theatre, music, painting, etc.

Rs. 5,000 per month will be provided to artists above 50 years old with a monthly income below Rs. 15,000 having 25 years’ experience in their field under an unconditional cash transfer program. The goal of this project is to improve the socio-economic wellbeing of the elderly and financially vulnerable artists of the Punjab who have made a notable contribution in their field.

This Program is designed with the following objectives:

• To improve the social inclusion of the poor elderly and financially vulnerable artists of the Punjab by providing them with dignified social assistance
• To improve the subsistence of poor elderly and needy artists
• To reduce the economic dependency of poor elderly and needy artists on their social network

In total 2,034 deserving artists have benefited from this initiative.

Eligibility Criteria

• Artist over fifty years old
• Twenty-five years or more of service
• Income less than fifteen thousand per month

If you meet the above qualifications and do not have a record with Punjab Ehsaas Program 2023 on their online portal, you need to contact the nearest Arts Council for your registration.

Upcoming Initiatives of Punjab Ehsaas Program 2023

The following initiatives are under development and will be launched soon by the Punjab Social Protection Authority (PSPA) under the Ehsaas Punjab Banner.

Sarparast Program for Poor Widows & Orphans

This is an upcoming initiative of the Punjab Social Protection Authority (PSPA) under the Punjab Ehsaas Program 2023 aimed at providing financial support to families of the poor and vulnerable widows for improving their well-being and social status.

The Sarparast project falls under the second pillar of the Ehsaas Program which is “Safety Net” to provide effective and comprehensive safety nets for the marginalized and the vulnerable.

It also addresses the cross-cutting objective of Ehsaas Strategy which is “Lift lagging areas”. Sarparast program will provide dignified social assistance specially designed for the poor widows of Punjab.

The program will help in reducing the rate of poverty amongst beneficiary households, by directly supplementing monthly household income and to reach out to the poor and vulnerable segments of the society.

Women Income Generation and Self-Reliance Program (WINGS)

WINGS has been planned under the Ehsaas Punjab Program 2023 for building and sustaining productive assets of the poor by encouraging innovative, indigenous solutions. This program would help women break the fetters of poverty and achieve self-sustenance by utilizing the granted assets.

PSPA will establish a competitive challenge fund to pilot, adapt and scale up livelihood packages in varied socioeconomic and geographic contexts. With an outlay of Rs. 700 million in FY 2021-22. The pilot phase of the Program is expected to benefit about 25,000 women in two districts.

Punjab Ehsaas Program 2023 Helpline

For assistance, you call on the following numbers of the Ehsaas Punjab Program:

• 042-9923236
• 0330-9232360

It is pertinent to mention that the original Ehsaas Program, which was being run at the Federal Level, has been converted back into the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) since the PML-N-led coalition government took over after ousting Imran Khan as Prime Minister through a no-trust motion.

Read more: Ehsaas Kafalat Program to be Renamed as BISP.

In addition to the Punjab Ehsaas Program 2023, the Provincial Government will also be distributing Flood aid to the affected people in the province under the chairmanship of Dr Sania Nishtar through a transparent mechanism.

Read more: Punjab Launches Website For Flood Relief Donations.

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