23rd September 2020 - 6 min read
*24/9/2020: This article has been updated following the release of LHDN’s FAQ document.
Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has announced that the government will be giving out a second round of the Bantuan Prihatin Nasional (BPN) financial aid, dubbed BPN 2.0. The cash aid is part of the government’s new Kita Prihatin Package, which is aimed at providing further assistance to those who have felt the negative economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In case you are unclear about the new BPN 2.0 aid and how it is being distributed, here are some frequently asked questions about the Bantuan Prihatin Nasional.
Bantuan Prihatin Nasional is a one-off cash aid given to B40 and M40 Malaysians to relieve the burden of the rakyat during the Covid-19 pandemic. It was first introduced in March 2020, with payments being disbursed in the months of April and May. BPN 2.0 is a return of this initiative, announced by the prime minister on 23 September 2020.
Under BPN 2.0, recipients will get the relevant payouts as follows:
The 10.6 million recipients who have been approved under the first BPN aid payout will be eligible for BPN 2.0. The eligibility criteria for the first round of BPN was set as follows:
Single individuals 21 years are above are those who were born in the year 1999 and below.
BPN 2.0 will be disbursed in two stages: the first at the end of October 2020, and the second in January 2021. The amount of payment that will be given out in each phase will be in accordance with the schedule below:
Category | October Phase | January Phase | Total |
B40 households | RM700 | RM300 | RM1,000 |
M40 households | RM400 | RM200 | RM600 |
B40 individuals | RM350 | RM150 | RM500 |
M40 individuals | RM200 | RM100 | RM300 |
Just like with the first Bantuan Prihatin Nasional initiative, eligible recipients will not have to make any applications at all. Earlier in March, the government stressed that Bantuan Sara Hidup (BSH) recipients did not need to apply as they were already in the BSH database. Similarly, registered taxpayers with Lembaga Hasil Dalam Negeri (LHDN) did not need to make any applications as they were in the taxpayer database.
LHDN has confirmed that those who received the first round of BPN payments earlier this year will not have to make any applications to receive BPN 2.0.
If you did not qualify for the first round of BPN payments, chances are you also do not fit the criteria for BPN 2.0. However, the government will be accepting appeals and new applications from those who are actually eligible for BPN, but never received the initial BPN payment.
BPN 2.0 applications can be made starting 15 October 2020 and you can find out more about appealing for BPN 2.0 here.
Eligible BPN 2.0 recipients can make status checks on the official BPN portal starting 15 October 2020.
If you forget your Portal BPN password, you will be asked to provide the answers to your pre-determined security questions. If you cannot remember the answers to your security questions either, you are requested to contact the LHDN Care Line at 03-89111000 to reset your account or contact your closest LHDN or UTC branch.
BPN 2.0 will be given directly to all eligible recipients through the same channels as the first BPN – namely by automatic direct deposit into the bank account recognised by the BPN database.
For those who are BSH recipients, the payment will be made into the bank account that is registered in the BSH database. Meanwhile, M40 recipients in the LHDN database will receive their BPN payments directly into their bank accounts registered there.
BPN 2.0 will also be given to those who do not have a bank account, or with inactive or closed bank accounts, via cash at Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN). Rural residents in Sabah and Sarawak who do not have bank accounts will be given their BPN 2.0 payments through a different method starting January 2021.
(Image: The Edge Markets)
According to LHDN, you are not allowed to update your bank details as the method of distribution for BPN 2.0 will be exactly the same as BPN 1.0. If the payment is made into a bank account that is inactive or incorrect, you can make a claim for cash at a BSN branch once your serial number has appeared on the online status check page.
If you’re curious to know how much money was given out during the first round of aid and the second, you can compare the figures below.
Eligible Category | Cash Aid For BPN | Cash Aid For BPN 2.0 |
B40 households | RM1,600 | RM1,000 |
B40 individuals | RM800 | RM500 |
M40 households | RM1,000 | RM600 |
M40 individuals | RM500 | RM300 |
The eligibility criteria for BPN 2.0 is based on your previous BPN payout.
If you previously received the BPN payout as a single individual, but would now like to claim under the household category, you can make a new application or appeal. If you were previously married to a BPN recipient under the household category, and are now divorced, you can make a new application or appeal as a single parent as well.
Appeals and new applications can be made starting 15 October. Of course, for both situations you must pass the eligibility criteria to be successful.
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We will be updating this page with further information as the Ministry of Finance and relevant authorities release more details, so make sure to check back if you want to stay informed and updated on the government’s cash aid.
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Comments (9)
Last time mysalary above 4k now below 4k how to update.last time i get rm 1000.
Want to apply for BPN 2.0.Please adbice
Hello,
I lost my password and the answers to the security questions which I have written on a piece of paper last time. Any idea how I can log in to my prihatin account?
Your help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Where to apply for new applicant under M40??
Why Retirees are never considered for any BPN despite we are no longer working and either depending on children or our depleting EPF?
How about warga emas above 65yrs.how much do they get?
Thanks for the good info…
if i am a student and i am living under my parents, yet single,21 and no source of income
can i apply for the first and second bpn?
WHAT ABOUT MY SALARY BEEN CUT AFTER BACK TO WORK FROM CONVID-19 AND I AM UNDER M40 NOW. CAN I APPLY FOR BPN 2.0 APPLICATIONS?