Get an Instant Read on Your Poverty Score
Enter a few details about your household and see whether your estimated PMT score falls within BISP's eligibility threshold of 32. This is only a planning estimate — your official score is set by the NSER survey.
Household Details 🔒 Confidential
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Analysis Results
Based on the household factors that are publicly known to influence the NSER score.
What Is the PMT Score?
PMT stands for Proxy Means Test — a method the Government of Pakistan uses to estimate a household's financial condition without asking for exact income figures, which are hard to verify in an informal economy. Instead, the system looks at proxies: assets, housing quality, family size, and employment type, then converts them into a single number between 0 and 100 — your BISP PMT Score.
The lower the number, the poorer the household is estimated to be — and the more likely it is to qualify for BISP registration, Benazir Kafaalat, and related welfare programmes.
This isn't a self-reported figure. It's generated by the National Socio-Economic Registry (NSER), the government's household database, built from survey data collected door-to-door or through registration centres. BISP oversees NSER, so an accurate NSER survey record is what your 8171 PMT Score ultimately reflects.
What You'll Need Before You Check
Have these ready — it saves a wasted trip or a failed SMS.
- Your 13-digit CNIC number, without dashes or spaces
- A mobile phone with the SIM registered under your own CNIC (required for the SMS method)
- Working internet access, if you're using the 8171 web portal
- Your original CNIC card, if you're visiting a Tehsil Office in person
How the PMT Score Is Actually Calculated
NSER doesn't publish its exact scoring formula, but it has confirmed the score is built from roughly two dozen weighted indicators, grouped into a few broad categories.
Household composition
Total family size, number of dependents (children, elderly), and whether the household is headed by a woman or widow.
Housing quality
Construction material (kacha vs. pakka), number of rooms, and access to electricity or gas.
Employment
Whether the household head has a formal job, informal or daily-wage work, or is unemployed.
Assets
Ownership of land, livestock, a motorcycle, or a car.
Migration status
Whether any family member is working or living abroad.
Education
Literacy and schooling level within the household.
Each factor is weighted differently, and the final figure is what's checked against the 32-point cut-off.
How to Check Your PMT Score by CNIC (3 Methods)
Here's how to check your PMT score online or offline, depending on what's available to you.
8171 Web Portal
- Go to the official BISP 8171 web portal.
- Enter your 13-digit CNIC number, no dashes.
- Complete the numeric captcha.
- Submit — your eligibility status appears on screen.
8171 SMS Service
- Open your phone's default SMS app (not WhatsApp).
- Type your CNIC number, no spaces or dashes.
- Send it to 8171 — only from the SIM registered under your own CNIC.
- Get a reply within a minute confirming your status and payment details.
In Person
Visit your nearest BISP Tehsil Office, Zonal Office, or a participating Utility Store. Bring your original CNIC — staff can pull your record, confirm your status, and start a re-survey request on the spot if needed.
What Each PMT Score Range Means
Both BISP and Ehsaas use a score of 32 or below as the cut-off for 2026. Use the ranges below to get a sense of where your household might land.
| Score Range | Category | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| 0–16 | Highest Priority | Qualifies for nearly every cash-transfer scheme, including Benazir Kafaalat. |
| 17–32 | Eligible | Good standing overall, though a few sub-programmes may still apply their own conditions. |
| 33–37 | Borderline | Only likely to qualify with a documented disability or other special circumstance. |
| 37+ | Not Eligible | Falls outside current cash-transfer schemes; a fresh NSER survey is worth requesting. |
Quick comparison — PMT Score, Eligibility & Payment
| PMT Score | Eligible for BISP? | Quarterly Payment |
|---|---|---|
| 0–16 | Yes | Rs. 14,500 |
| 17–32 | Yes | Rs. 14,500 |
| 33–37 | Conditional | Depends on case (disability/special status) |
| 37+ | No | Not applicable |
Special Cases: Who Can Still Qualify Above the Threshold
A score just above 32 isn't automatically disqualifying. A few categories get additional weighting or case-by-case consideration.
If you fall into one of these categories, mention it explicitly when you visit a Tehsil Office, before requesting a re-survey — it affects how your case is reviewed.
If Your Score Comes Out Higher Than Expected
A high or seemingly incorrect score isn't final — here's what to do next.
Visit Your Local BISP Office
Bring your CNIC to the nearest BISP Tehsil Office and ask staff to pull up and verify your NSER record.
Request a Fresh Survey
If your household circumstances have changed, ask for a new NSER dynamic survey to reflect the update.
Update NADRA Biometrics
Outdated fingerprint records can block payments even when your score is within range — get these refreshed at your nearest NADRA office.
Recheck After 2–3 Weeks
Updates take a little time to process — check your status again via the 8171 portal or SMS after that window.
File a Complaint
Use the 8171 Complaint Portal or BISP Help Desk if you believe there's an error that hasn't been resolved.
How to Stay Eligible Once You Qualify
Approval isn't permanent. NSER is a dynamic registry, meaning your data — and therefore your score — can change over time. To avoid losing benefits later:
- Report changes promptly. New assets, a change in income, or a shift in family size should be updated at your Tehsil Office rather than left unreported.
- Never use someone else's CNIC or phone number for status checks — it creates a mismatch in the NSER system and can delay or block your results.
- Keep your NADRA biometric data current. This is checked separately from your PMT score and can hold up a BISP payment on its own.
- Don't submit false information. Beyond the ethical issue, inaccurate data can result in a permanent ban from BISP and related programmes — even for households that would have genuinely qualified.
Other Welfare Schemes Linked to Your PMT Score
Your PMT score isn't only used for the core Benazir Kafaalat payment — it's also the eligibility gate for several related BISP initiatives. If your score qualifies you for one, it's worth asking about these while you're at the Tehsil Office.
Benazir Taleemi Wazaif
A conditional education stipend for children in eligible households, tied to school enrolment and attendance.
BISP Hunarmand
A skills-training programme aimed at helping eligible household members build employable skills.
Ehsaas-linked relief schemes
Occasionally activated during floods or other crises, using the same NSER eligibility data. For the latest status on payments and registration, see Ehsaas Program 2026 Latest Update.
CM Punjab welfare schemes
Provincial initiatives (Punjab) that often use the same NSER/PMT eligibility data as a starting filter.
Because these programmes pull from the same NSER record, keeping your household data accurate benefits your standing across all of them, not just the quarterly cash transfer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly is a PMT score?
It's a Proxy Means Test score that rates a household's financial standing on a 0–100 scale. The lower the number, the greater the level of poverty it reflects.
What is the PMT score threshold for BISP in 2026?
32 or below. Scores from 33–37 may still qualify in special circumstances, such as a registered disability.
How do I check my PMT score using SMS?
Send your 13-digit CNIC (no dashes) to 8171 from the SIM registered under your own name. You'll receive your status by text within a minute.
Can I still qualify if my score lands above the threshold?
In most cases, no — unless your household falls under a special category like widow-headed, disability-registered, or low-income government employment. Otherwise, a re-survey is the recommended path.
How long does it take for a PMT score to update after a correction?
Typically 2–3 weeks after a new NSER survey is completed, though this can vary depending on regional processing volume.
Does the PMT score change on its own every month?
No — it only updates when new data is submitted through an NSER survey. It isn't recalculated automatically on a fixed schedule.
What happens if I give incorrect information during the NSER survey?
It can result in disqualification and, in more serious cases, a permanent ban from BISP and related welfare schemes — regardless of whether the household would have otherwise qualified.
How can I check my PMT score if I don't have internet access?
Use the SMS method — send your CNIC to 8171 from your own registered SIM — or visit a BISP Tehsil Office, Zonal Office, or participating Utility Store in person with your original CNIC.
How can I fix a mistake in my PMT score record?
Report the error at a BISP Tehsil Office and request a data correction through a new NSER survey. You can also file a formal complaint via the 8171 portal or the BISP Help Desk if the mistake isn't resolved through the standard survey update.
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Conclusion
Your PMT score is the single factor that determines whether your household qualifies for BISP's Rs. 14,500 quarterly Benazir Kafaalat payment and several related welfare schemes. A score of 32 or below currently clears the threshold, though widow-headed households, disability cases, and low-salary government employees may still qualify slightly above that line.
Checking your status only takes a CNIC and a couple of minutes — through the 8171 web portal, the 8171 SMS service, or a visit to your nearest Tehsil Office. If your score comes back higher than expected, it isn't necessarily permanent: a re-survey, updated NADRA biometrics, and 2–3 weeks of processing time are usually enough to get an accurate result back on record. Keeping your household data current going forward is what keeps that eligibility stable over time.