Islamabad: A new study by the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) has found no evidence of backlash or decline in women's empowerment after they stop receiving cash transfers under the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP).

The study, titled 'When Cash Stops: What Happens When Women Suddenly Stop Receiving Cash Transfers?', was authored by Nasir Iqbal, Amen Jalal, Mahreen Mahmud, and Kate Vyborny.

Researchers examined the impact of BISP's 2022 nationwide recertification based on an updated Proxy Means Test, which led to many households losing eligibility. The study focused on households near the eligibility threshold in Layyah district.

Using a regression discontinuity design and panel data, the study found that even one year after exiting the programme, there was no increase in intimate partner violence, no decline in women's decision-making power, mobility, or economic participation, and no negative effects on children's education or labour.

The findings challenge concerns that stopping cash transfers could reverse empowerment gains or trigger household conflict. Researchers suggest that behavioural changes, recognition of women's financial role, and household adjustments may help sustain empowerment even after payments end.

The study concludes that for households near the eligibility cutoff, exiting BISP does not lead to negative social outcomes in the short term, supporting more efficient and data-driven social protection policies.