BSH cash handouts rebranded to Bantuan Prihatin Rakyat, benefits revised

 

The Perikatan Nasional government today announced the Bantuan Sara Hidup (BSH) cash handout policy will be rebranded as Bantuan Prihatin Rakyat (BPN).

Bantuan Sara Hidup, introduced in 2019 under the Pakatan Harapan government, was itself rebranded from the BN era's Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia (BR1M).

Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, when tabling the Budget 2021 in the Dewan Rakyat today, said under the revised policy, cash handouts are as follow:

• Households earning under RM2,500 with one child or less: RM1,200
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• Households earning under RM2,500 with more than one child: RM1,800
  
  
• Households earning RM2,501-RM4,000 with one child or less: RM800
  
  
• Households earning RM2,501-RM4,000 with more than one child: RM1,200
  
  
• Households earning RM4,001-RM5,000 with one child or less: RM500
  
  
• Households earning RM4,001-RM5,000 with more than one child: RM750
  
  
• Singles earning RM2,500 or less: RM350 (qualification age reduced from 40 to 21)

The total aid will cost RM6.5 billion covering 8.1 million people compared to RM5 billion for 4.3 million people last year.

Previously, no cash handout was given to those in the RM4,001-RM5,000 bracket.

The BSH aid in 2020 was as follows (child benefit up to four children only):

• Households earning RM2,000 or less: RM1,000 + RM120/child
  
  
• Households earning RM2,001-RM3,000: RM750 + RM120/child
  
  
• Households earning RM3,001-RM4,000: RM500 + RM120/child
  
  
• Singles aged 40+ earning RM2,000 or less: RM300
  
  
• Disabled persons aged 18+ earning RM2,000 or less: RM300

Zafrul, in his speech, also announced several other accompanying aid packages for 2021. They include:

• Aid for disabled persons who are unable to work: RM300 (previously RM250)

• Aid for senior citizens, disabled care and bedridden patients: RM500 (previously RM350)

• Allowance for disabled workers: RM450 (previously RM400)

• Aid for children from poor families: RM150 each for children aged 7-18 and RM200 each for children aged six and below up to a maximum of RM1,000 (previously RM100 per child up to RM450). - Mkini