BISP introduces digital social protection wallet for beneficiary women

The Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) has introduced a new Social Protection Wallet to make financial assistance more secure transparent and convenient for eligible women across Pakistan.

The Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) has introduced a new Social Protection Wallet to make financial assistance more secure transparent and convenient for eligible women across Pakistan.

The digital payment system aims to give beneficiaries greater control over their funds while reducing the risk of exploitation during the payment process. Under the initiative registered women will receive a dedicated mobile SIM free of charge which will be linked to their digital wallets.

According to BISP Additional Secretary Ismat Nawaz the new facility is designed to increase women’s financial independence and make receiving government assistance easier.

Free SIM cards for eligible women

Under the new system each eligible woman will be issued a dedicated SIM against her national identity card. The digital wallet will be connected to this SIM to facilitate payments and provide beneficiaries with direct access to their funds.

BISP officials said the initiative is intended to give women greater freedom in managing their financial assistance and reduce the possibility of intermediaries exploiting beneficiaries.

Previously, the programme used a limited-mandate account system under which recipients had to withdraw their money within a specified period. If they failed to collect the funds within that timeframe the amount could be returned.

The Social Protection Wallet removes this time restriction allowing women to withdraw their money according to their needs rather than being bound by a fixed deadline.

Smartphone not required

BISP officials have clarified that beneficiaries will not need a smartphone to use the new facility. The dedicated SIM can also be used in an ordinary feature phone making the service accessible to women who do not own advanced mobile devices.

The system will also include interoperability allowing beneficiaries to access their funds through agents of different participating banks rather than being restricted to a single bank or payment agent.

This feature is expected to offer women greater flexibility when collecting their assistance.

Payment notifications to improve transparency

The new wallet system will also provide notifications when funds are transferred into a beneficiary’s account. Women will receive a message confirming the transfer and informing them of the amount credited to their accounts.

The notification facility is intended to improve transparency and help beneficiaries keep track of their payments.

Established in 2008 BISP provides financial assistance to eligible households particularly women facing economic hardship. The introduction of the Social Protection Wallet represents a significant change in the programme’s payment mechanism with a focus on improving access security and financial autonomy for women receiving support.