Help for Widows and Orphans in Pakistan: 12 Government Schemes Compared, From Rs 1,000 a Month

We built this list from the official pages we have read for each scheme, most recently on 11 November 2026. Each row links to our full guide. Where an amount is only reported, not published by the department, we say so.

All 12 schemes for widows and orphans at a glance

Start with the column for your province. Then check the pension rows, because a family pension can rule you out of some Zakat schemes.

Punjab pays widows through the Zakat department

The Punjab Rahmat Card is the largest single payment on this list. Its portal shows Rs 100,000 for a widow with no children, Rs 125,000 with one child and Rs 150,000 with two or more. It is paid without deductions to a bank account or ATM card. The department says payments stopped on 18 September 2026 and a second phase is expected. Our Rahmat Card guide has the status check.

One warning for anyone visiting the Rahmat Card portal. When we checked on 11 November 2026, the security certificate of rahmatcard.punjab.gov.pk had expired on 31 October, so browsers show a warning. Type the address yourself, and if you are unsure, call the helpline 1077 instead of entering your details.

The Zakat Rashan Card is smaller but monthly: Rs 2,000, paid by branchless banking after a thumbprint check. Widows with small children get preference, but a widow already drawing a family pension is not eligible. You apply to your Local Zakat Committee, listed in our District Zakat Office list for Punjab, and the grant rules are in our Punjab Zakat guide.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa runs two monthly cards

KP's Sahara Card is for widows aged 30 and above who have no government job, no family pension and no property or fixed income in their name. You apply on a free form at the Local Zakat Committee. The department's form does not print the amount; reports at launch gave Rs 5,000 a month, and later reports Rs 10,000. See our Sahara Card guide.

The Roshan Mustaqbil Card is for orphans under 16 whose father has died. The mother or a guardian applies with the child's B-Form and the father's death certificate. A household gets either Sahara or Roshan Mustaqbil, not both. Details are in our Roshan Mustaqbil guide.

Sindh and AJK pay smaller allowances

Sindh's Zakat guzara allowance is Rs 1,000 a month, paid as Rs 6,000 every six months on a Sindh Bank ATM card after a thumbprint check. It is budgeted for about 110,000 people across 29 districts. Our Sindh guzara guide shows how to apply.

Azad Kashmir's 2024 Social Protection Act gives a monthly allowance to widows, divorced women, orphans under 21, disabled and transgender persons who have no other support. The Act does not state the amount, so ask the Religious Affairs Department. Our AJK allowance guide explains who qualifies.

Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal helps in every province

Bait-ul-Mal is federal, so it works wherever you live. It has three routes for a bereaved family:

• The Orphan and Widow Support Programme lists Rs 8,000 a month per orphan child.
• Pakistan Sweet Home takes orphans aged 4 to 6 into a free home with school.
• General financial assistance pays up to Rs 30,000, once a year, with preference for widows.

Government employees and people already on similar help, such as Zakat, cannot get the general grant. Our guides cover the orphan schemes and the Rs 30,000 grant. You can track a case on our PBM status guide.

If your husband had a job, check pensions first

Pensions usually pay more and for longer than any Zakat grant. Check these before anything else:

1. If he worked in a private firm registered with EOBI, claim the survivor's pension. It pays at least Rs 11,500 a month for life, if he had 36 months of insured work. See our EOBI survivor guide.
2. If he was a federal employee or pensioner, claim the family pension of 75 per cent. A widow gets it for life. Our family pension guide has the order of heirs.
3. If he was a Punjab government servant, claim the Benevolent Fund's Rs 35,000 funeral grant and the monthly grant of Rs 3,000 to Rs 15,500. See our Benevolent Fund guide.
4. Then apply for Zakat or Bait-ul-Mal help only if the family still has no regular income.

The order matters because Zakat schemes exclude pensioners. A widow who takes a Zakat card first and then claims a family pension may have to give the card up.

Papers every widow and orphan claim asks for

Almost every scheme above asks for the same core set. Get them ready once:

• Your CNIC, updated by NADRA to show widow status.
• The husband's death certificate from the union council or NADRA.
• A family registration certificate (FRC) from NADRA.
• B-Forms for every child.
• A mobile SIM registered in your own name.

The FRC steps are in our NADRA FRC guide.

Common questions

Which scheme pays a widow the most in Pakistan?

As a one-time payment, the Punjab Rahmat Card, at up to Rs 150,000 for a widow with two or more children. As a monthly payment, the EOBI survivor's pension, at least Rs 11,500, if her husband was insured.

Can a widow get both a pension and a Zakat card?

Usually not. Punjab's Rashan Card and KP's Sahara Card both exclude widows who draw a family pension.

Is there help for orphans in every province?

Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal's orphan schemes work in every province. Punjab's Rahmat Card covers children with both parents dead, and KP's Roshan Mustaqbil covers children under 16 whose father has died.

Is the Punjab Rahmat Card open now?

The department says payments stopped on 18 September 2026 and a second phase is likely. Call 1077 for the latest.

Does BISP pay widows separately?

BISP Kafaalat is for poor families by survey score, not for widows as a group. A widow in a poor household can qualify if her score is below the cut-off.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked on 11 November 2026. Each figure comes from the scheme's own official page or law, as read for the linked guide: the Punjab Zakat and Ushr Department and the Rahmat Card portal (read again today), the KP Social Welfare Department's Zakat forms, the Sindh Zakat department, Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal, the AJK Law Department, EOBI and the Finance Division. KP card amounts are reported, not printed on the department's forms.