Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz has announced that the government will replace the existing Bantuan Sara Hidup (BSH) assistance with an enhanced Bantuan Prihatin Rakyat (BPR) as a means of assisting the B40 households.

Along with the change in name, the new BPR programme will also feature new conditions and amount of financial assistance in comparison to the BSH programme. Here’s what you can expect from the BPR programme once it begins.

Monthly household income	Number of children	Cash aid provided
Less than RM2,500	One child	RM1,200
	Two or more children	RM1,800
Between RM2,501 to RM4,000	One child	RM800
	Two or more children	RM1,200
Between RM4,001 to RM5,000	One child	RM500
	Two or more children	RM750
Singles aged 21 and above earning < RM2,500	–	RM350

Compared to the BSH programme which was introduced in Budget 2019 and then expanded during Budget 2020, the BPR programme offers a higher amount of cash aid, but it is also more specific and targeted in terms of eligibility.

A total of RM6.5 billion has been allocated for the BPR programme, and it is expected to benefit 8.1 million people. This is in comparison with the RM5 billion previously set aside for 4.3 million recipients under the BSH programme.

• TAGS:
• Bantuan Prihatin Rakyat (BPR)
• Bantuan Sara Hidup (BSH)
• Budget 2021
• National Poverty Line Income