BISP eligibility is determined by the PMT (Proxy Means Test) score derived from the NSER household survey — the score estimates household poverty using observable proxies including housing type, assets, income sources, and education levels.
The Proxy Means Test — How BISP Measures Poverty
BISP doesn't measure poverty by asking "how much do you earn?" — it uses a Proxy Means Test (PMT), a statistical tool that predicts household welfare from observable characteristics. The PMT surveys 50+ household indicators, assigns a weighted score to each, and calculates a total score that proxies for income. Households below the poverty line score are eligible.
Why use PMT instead of reported income? Because income is easily misreported, especially in informal economies where most BISP households operate. PMT indicators like housing quality, asset ownership, and access to utilities are harder to fake and more objectively verifiable. A household with a TV, motorcycle, and pucca (brick) walls will score higher (less poor) than one with katcha (mud) walls and no assets, even if both report similar income.
Key PMT Indicators That Affect Your Score
These are the main factors that influence your BISP PMT score — lower scores indicate higher poverty:
Housing type: Katcha/mud walls, kutcha roof (thatch or wood), and dirt floors indicate lower scores. Pucca (brick/concrete) construction indicates higher scores and lower poverty probability.
Assets owned: Owning a motorcycle, car, TV, refrigerator, or agricultural land significantly raises the score (indicates less poor). No assets beyond basic cooking equipment lowers the score.
Utilities access: No electricity, no gas, no piped water indicate rural deprivation and lower scores. All utilities connected raises score.
Household size and dependants: Large households with many dependants (young children, elderly, disabled members) and few earners score lower.
Education and employment: No household member with secondary or higher education lowers the score. White-collar employment raises it significantly.
Government Employees and Automatic Disqualification
Certain household characteristics automatically disqualify BISP eligibility regardless of PMT score:
Government employee in household: If any household member is employed by the federal or provincial government (civil service, armed forces, police, teachers in government schools, etc.), the entire household is ineligible. This includes pensioners drawing government pension.
Existing asset thresholds: Households owning significant agricultural land (above specified acreage) or business assets above the threshold are ineligible. The exact thresholds are in BISP's operational guidelines.
CNIC/B-Form issues: Households where a member's CNIC doesn't match NADRA records, or where a household member appears to be deceased on NADRA's records, face eligibility complications.
How to Improve Your PMT Score if Incorrectly Assessed
If you believe your PMT score incorrectly reflects your household's poverty level — for example, a data collector marked "pucca walls" for a home with mud walls, or marked you as having a motorcycle when you don't — you can request a re-survey:
Visit the nearest BISP district office with your CNIC and explain that your survey data contains errors. The district office reviews your registration record and can schedule a re-survey if discrepancies are apparent. Bring any evidence you can — a photo of your home's exterior, utility bills showing your address, anything that corroborates the actual conditions.
Re-surveys aren't automatic approvals — the score must genuinely come out below the poverty line for eligibility to change. If your household has assets that legitimately score above the threshold, re-survey won't change the outcome.
Registration and Payment Problems
Your PMT score may have been calculated from survey data that doesn't reflect reality. Request a re-survey at your BISP district office — bring photos and any documentation of your actual living conditions. Re-survey doesn't guarantee eligibility but corrects data errors.
Once the family member leaves government service and this is updated in NADRA/government records, the disqualification may be lifted at the next survey or on formal re-assessment. Contact the BISP district office with the resignation/clearance documentation.
Frequently Asked Questions
BISP doesn't publicly disclose the exact numerical cutoff. It's revised as government policy changes. What matters for you is whether your household comes out below or above the threshold on the survey — you can infer this from the Eligible/Ineligible result.
Being female-headed, widowed, or divorced is weighted in the PMT but doesn't automatically guarantee eligibility. These household characteristics lower the PMT score (indicate higher poverty probability) and improve chances of eligibility, but the total score still needs to be below the threshold.
BISP eligibility isn't permanent. BISP conducts periodic re-surveys, and households whose circumstances improve (member gets government job, major asset purchase) may become ineligible at re-survey. Annual re-assessments are planned in the long term.