Ehsaas Kafaalat / BISP (8171) Program Explained: Eligibility, Registration & Benefits in 2025

📚 Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Background and Development of Ehsaas Kafalat
• Transition from BISP to Ehsaas Kafalat
• Ehsaas Kafalat and 8171 Portal
• Eligibility Criteria
• Ehsaas Kafalat / BISP Registration Method
• Financial Assistance and Benefits
• Digital Empowerment and Transparency
• Challenges and Criticisms
• Conclusion

Introduction

Poverty in Pakistan is a problem from every angle. Pakistan has been facing this challenge for years. It affects women and children the most. To address this challenge, the Government of Pakistan has created several social security programs. The aim is to remove the social and poverty-related shortcomings of its people. One of these programs is the Ahsan Kafalat Program. It was earlier known as the Benazir Income Support Scheme. It has become an important and necessary program for poor households. You can consider it as a lifeline for poor households.This program is famous with the short code 8171. It provides financial assistance to deserving women to improve their lives.In this article, you will get all the information about Ehsaas Kafalat/BISP and short code 8171. After watching it, you will not have to go anywhere else to get information.This article covers everything, such as the criteria and benefits of a wife and the registration process. Detailed information is given on each topic.

Background And Development of Ehsaas Kafalat

The Origins of BISP

Initiated in 2008, the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) was introduced by the PPP-led government in memory of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. Its main and primary objective was to help Pakistan’s poorest families meet their basic needs and overcome the challenges of rising inflation, poverty, and the inequalities faced by the poor, poor, and unmet needs of the poor, and to address these issues and challenges in the midst of economic instability.

In the initial stages, the Benazir Income Support Program offered unlimited funds and cash transfers (UCTs) to the general public. The beneficiaries were women from low-income households, especially widows and those whose husbands were unable to provide for the family properly. As time passed, new updates were added to the program to improve the BISP system. It evolved into a more structured and targeted system with some rules and regulations added such as biometric verification, data analytics and poverty scorecard.

Also Read : BISP 2025 Online Apply – A Complete Step-by-Step Guide

Transition from BISP to Ehsaas Kafalat

In the year 2019, under the leadership and guidance of Prime Minister Imran Khan, recognizing the problems arising due to poverty, the program was introduced as a poverty alleviation and welfare initiative. Benazir Income Support Program became part of BISP Ehsaas Kafalat. It was renamed Ehsaas Kafalat, so no other changes were made due to the name change. A guarantee The program did not change the basic principles of BISP, but rather maintained them, providing financial assistance to women, improving the transparency of digital registration data, and better access to the right people.

Over the years, the political leadership has changed, but the structure of Ehsaas Kafalat has been maintained. The current government has expanded the scope of this program and is continuing its work.

Ehsaas Kafalat and 8171 Portal

📲 What is 8171?

📞 Number 8171 is a vital communication tool for BISP initiatives, providing better protection, better care, higher education, and awareness of all the issues arising while living with people from all walks of life. It works as follows:

✅ Registration Verification Service

🪪 Identity Verification

🧾 Identification Tool for Entitlement

🔗 A Direct Information Link for Beneficiaries

📲 Citizens can send their CNIC (Computer-Verified National Identity Card) number to 8171 without any hassle to check their eligibility status for the program.

Ehsaas 8171 Web Portal

💻 Ehsaas 8171 web portal means that now you can get help from the online platform without any effort and hassle. Ehsaas Kafalat also provides this facility and services to the poor class people.

📲 Along with the SMS service, Ehsaas 8171 online platform from home allows users to:

Official Website : Ehsaas Kafalat Programme 

• 🏠 Check the status of their application from the comfort of their home.
• ✅ Verify or identify eligibility.
• ✅ Verify or identify eligibility.
• 💸 Get or review complete payment details.
• 📢 File complaints immediately in case of complaints.

📸 The 8171 online platform, like the current technology, photographs the government's determination, courage, intention and consistency for clarity and efficiency in the distribution of public goodwill.

Eligibility Criteria

✅📑 To ensure that assistance reaches only the most deserving, Ehsaas Kafaalat has strict eligibility rules. These include:

Who is eligible for the Ehsaas Kafalat program?

👩‍👧‍👦💸 Women whose household income is very low and there is no earner, often earning less than the national poverty line

👩‍🦳⚖️ Preference will also be given to LC women who are widowed or divorced or single mothers and have no guardian.

♿🌟 Preference will also be given to individuals who are naturally or accidentally disabled

📋🏠 And families who are also eligible for this program will be identified through the NSER survey.

🚫 Who is not eligible for this program?

🚗🌾 Individuals who have significant assets in their name such as a car or any large land are also not eligible for this program.

🛫🛂 Individuals who travel abroad and hold a passport are also not eligible.

📱💳 Recharging a mobile phone repeatedly above a certain limit also falls under this category and such an obligation does not qualify for this program.

NSER SURVEY AND DYNAMIC REGISTRY

📊🏡 The NSER survey determines the criteria for whether an individual is eligible for the program or not. The NSER survey collects household data of the people of Pakistan, which includes all the information such as income, health status, and education level. A dynamic registry has been introduced some time ago to update the information in real time, which will benefit families who will have the facility to reapply if their financial circumstances change.

Ehsaas Kafalat / BISP Registration Method

📝 The registration process for the Ehsaas Kafalat program has been made very easy and everyone can access it because its design has been made accessible:

1. You can register yourself by sending an SMS to 8171.

🔢 You have to enter your CNIC number, which consists of 13 digits, and then press 8171.

2. For registration, you can complete your registration process by visiting the Ehsaas Program centers.

🔷 All eligible women should go to any nearby registration office or Benazir Income Support Program Tehsil Office with their CNIC, where biometric verification is also done. 

3. Those who feel that their survey has not been completed yet or has not been properly surveyed can join digitally. They should join through their nearest mobile phone field teams or they can visit their nearest centers and complete their registration process.

4. The Ehsaas Program has provided a facility that if you If you feel that there has been an error in your verification or assessment and therefore you have been disqualified, then the disqualified persons can file a complaint.

📞📝 You will see a dedicated helpline and complaint desks in the centers, where you can file your complaint.

Financial Assistance and Benefits from Ehsaas Program

🟢 Ehsaas Kafalat Program offers the following facilities to the poor and unemployed people of Pakistan:

💸 Ehsaas Kafalat Program provides women with Rs. 12,000 to Rs. 14,000 every three months (subject to change)

🖐️ The assistance amount is given through biometric ATMs or through POS agents and retail outlets.

🚨 The assistance given through these sources is a special payment in case of emergencies such as floods or Covid-19.

📋 In some cases, the Ehsaas Program also includes:

🏥 Providing health insurance through Sehat Sahulat Card, which is a great facility for the common people.

🎓 Setting a scholarship for children of poor and low-income families (educational scholarship).

💼 Under the Ehsaas Program, interest-free loans have also been made to youth and entrepreneurs, and this program has become a means of accessing skill training.

Digital Empowerment and Transparency

💻 The Ehsaas Kafalat Program has become highly digital and transparent.

🔍 The biggest feature of Ehsaas Kafalat / (8171) BISP is that it reduces corruption and ensures timely payments. The use of technology is essential to ensure timely payments. The main innovations include the following:

🔗 A system has been created that links the system to NADRA, through which biometric authentication becomes possible.

👩‍🦰 More facilities have been created for women under this program so that there is no difference between men and women in the society. This program has been made gender-sensitive.

📊 Real-time dashboards have been provided to monitor the payment and distribution of funds.

🌐 The Ehsaas Program also includes international partnerships. These partners also include third-party auditors and data.

⚙️ Better and proper use of technology not only improves performance, but also increases the trust of the country's system in any institution.

Challenges and Criticisms

⚖️ Any program or institution has its strengths as well as weaknesses. Despite the successes of the Ehsaas program, the program is not without its flaws:

❌ Disbursement errors: Some families who were truly deserving but whose data was outdated were left out of the Ehsaas program.

⏳ Since so many people are registered in the program, the disbursement of funds from the Ehsaas program in remote or conflict-affected areas is delayed.

🛑 Whenever women go to collect assistance from the Ehsaas program, technical problems often arise with the biometric system.

🗣️ The Ehsaas program also faces political criticism simply because there is a lack of impartiality or transparency in some regions.

✅ However, the government has openly acknowledged such problems and is constantly updating the system to improve its performance so that these problems can be eradicated in the future.

Conclusion

The Ehsaas Kafalat /(8171)BISP program is a cornerstone for the common people of Pakistan and for development. The Ehsaas Kafalat program not only provides financial assistance to millions of the poorest women in Pakistan, but also acts as a catalyst for broader social and economic change. The Ehsaas Kafalat program or Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) provides cash transfers to women and the poor, as well as digital innovation and targeted outreach that we consider important and ensures that the weaker sections of society are not left behind and also progress.Although the program faces various challenges and criticisms, the program has created a strong roadmap for future welfare initiatives in Pakistan and continues to strive to improve the program.As the country progresses, the Ehsaas Kafalat program will have to be more transparent and use technology, which will also require more investment.

Women from poor households, widows, disabled individuals, and those identified by the NSER survey.

Individuals with vehicles, land, passports, or high mobile top-ups are not eligible.

Send your CNIC number via SMS to 8171 or use the 8171 web portal.

Eligible women receive Rs. 12,000–14,000 every 3 months via biometric ATM or designated agents.

You can register by SMS (8171), at designated registration centers, or via mobile field teams.