ISLAMABAD: A World Bank study has suggested that the government’s new Hybrid Social Protection Scheme (HSPS) should not be limited only to BISP beneficiaries, rather other vulnerable households should be included who are not poor enough to be eligible for social safety net benefits, and not well-off enough to be part of the social insurance progamme.

In December 2023, the BISP had launched a pilot savings scheme known as the Hybrid Social Protection Scheme (HSPS) aimed at enhancing resilience of the informal sector against various shocks by promoting sustainable savings behaviour.

The study, ‘Advancing Crisis-Resilient Social Protection through a Hybrid Social Protection Scheme in Pakistan’, published on Thursday, provided valuable insights into the design of the HSPS tailored for BISP beneficiaries and beyond.

The BISP is currently documenting the implementation journey of the HSPS pilot, while also collaborating with the World Bank to design an impact evaluation of the scheme. Based on the findings from the pilot phase, the government will assess the feasibility of scaling up the HSPS nationwide.

It says eligible households for the scheme include existing beneficiary households (with a BISP unconditional cash transfer programme cut-off score of 32) and those with a Proxy Means Test score of up to 40.

Published in Dawn, August 23rd, 2024