The Punjab ration card, officially called the Maryam Nawaz Ration Card, gives workers registered with Punjab Social Security a subsidy of Rs 3,000 every month to buy groceries. This guide explains who it is for, how workers get onto the list, how the card is used, and what to do if yours has not arrived.

The programme is run by the Punjab Employees Social Security Institution (PESSI), which works under the Labour and Human Resource Department. The official PESSI page on the programme is at pessi.punjab.gov.pk, and the PESSI helpline is 0800-73774.

Is the Punjab ration card for you?

Many websites get this wrong. PESSI describes the programme as monthly help for secured workers: people whose employer has registered them with Punjab Social Security. Official progress reports count cards issued to registered workers.

Your situationIs the card for you?What to do
You work for a factory, shop or business and are registered with Punjab Social SecurityYes, this is who it is forMake sure your CNIC and mobile number are correct in your employer’s records
You work for an employer but have never been registeredNot yetAsk your employer to register you with PESSI
You are a Suthra Punjab sanitation worker or a mine workerIncluded through your company or departmentAsk your supervisor or company office
You have no registered employer (for example, you are unemployed, a housewife or self-employed)NoSee the other programmes listed below

A simple test: if you have a social security card from PESSI, called the R-5 card, you are a registered worker.

How much you get

  • Rs 3,000 per month. The PESSI page says registered workers receive a Rs 3,000 subsidy each month through the card. As of July 2026, workers were using it to get essential goods worth Rs 3,000 a month from about 62,000 shops across Punjab.
  • Rs 10,000 in Ramzan 2026. As part of the Punjab government’s Ramzan Nigehban package, registered workers received Rs 10,000 in March 2026. Workers who did not yet have a ration card were included too. This was a one-time Ramzan payment, not a new monthly amount.

Amounts are set by the government and can change. Treat these figures as correct as of September 2026 and confirm the current amount with PESSI.

The programme so far

DateWhat happened
April 2025Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz launched it for workers at Rs 3,000 a month, targeting 1.25 million working families
July 2025Launched for about 40,000 mine workers
October 2025Announced for 150,000 Suthra Punjab sanitation workers
March 2026Registered workers received Rs 10,000 in Ramzan, including those still waiting for a card
April 2026PESSI reported bank accounts opened for over 1.2 million workers and Rs 22 billion transferred
July 2026Approved for 2026-27 with Rs 43.2 billion more. 1,244,130 of 1,403,063 registered workers had cards
The Punjab ration card gives workers registered with social security Rs 3,000 a month for essential goods.

How a worker gets the Punjab ration card

There is no public online application form for this card. The list comes from the PESSI record of registered workers, so your employer’s paperwork is what counts.

  1. Your employer registers the business with PESSI and pays a monthly social security contribution for its workers.
  2. You are registered as a worker. You fill in the R-2 worker registration form, your employer signs it, and PESSI issues your R-5 social security card.
  3. Your employer keeps your details up to date. Employers use the official PESSI Employee Registration app to add new workers and to update CNIC numbers, CNIC dates and mobile numbers for the ration card.
  4. A bank account and card are set up for you. PESSI opens the account, and the Bank of Punjab prints and distributes the cards. Local Social Security Directorate offices help with distribution.
  5. The monthly subsidy is paid to your account.

Not registered yet? Start at step 2 with your employer, or ask at your nearest Social Security Directorate office.

How to use the card

Official reports describe the card as a way to buy essential goods at registered shops. As of July 2026, about 62,000 shops across Punjab were part of the programme.

  • Ask the shopkeeper first whether they accept the ration card.
  • Keep the card in your own hands. Do not leave it with a shopkeeper or an agent.
  • Never tell anyone your PIN.

Registered but no card yet?

As of July 2026, roughly 159,000 registered workers were still waiting for a card, and another 4,984 cards were being printed. If you are one of them, work through these steps:

  1. Confirm you are registered. Ask your employer for your social security number or your R-5 card.
  2. Check your details. A wrong CNIC or mobile number is a common cause of delay. Ask your employer to correct your record.
  3. Fix a wrong mobile number at the bank. In March 2026, PESSI told workers with a wrong mobile number to visit the nearest Bank of Punjab branch, near home or work, for biometric verification and to update the number.
  4. Contact PESSI. Visit your local Social Security Directorate office or call 0800-73774. PESSI has a dedicated Ration Card Cell at its head office in Lahore.

Your card also depends on your registration staying active. News reports in 2026 said ration support could be suspended when contributions and records were not kept up to date, so if your employer stops paying social security for you, tell PESSI early.

Why you may see different rules online

Some websites, and one general page on the Punjab government portal, list extra conditions: PSER registration, income under Rs 50,000, a PMT score under 35, and not receiving BISP. They say to apply through PSER or an e-Khidmat Markaz.

PESSI, which actually runs the programme, describes it as support for registered workers. As of September 2026, we have not found any official report of a ration card being issued through a PSER application. If that changes, we will update this guide.

If you are not a registered worker

Some Punjab programmes, such as the Rehmat Card and Apni Chhat Apna Ghar, use the PSER survey, so it is worth getting your household into PSER registration. It is free. For help during Ramzan, see our Nigehban Ramzan package guide.

Registration is free

  • There is no fee for the ration card, and nobody can add your name to the list for money. The list comes from social security records.
  • Websites or social media pages that ask for your CNIC to “apply for the ration card” are not official.
  • Never share an OTP or PIN on the phone, including with someone claiming to be from PESSI or the Bank of Punjab.
  • Cash payments such as the Ramzan Rs 10,000 were collected in person, with the worker’s own CNIC and a biometric check. Nobody can collect them for you.

If someone asks you for money, report it through the Pakistan Citizen’s Portal.

Contact

For workers and low-income families in Punjab:

To see which Punjab and federal programmes your household may qualify for, try our free eligibility checker.

GoPunjab is an independent information website. We are not PESSI, the Labour and Human Resource Department or the Bank of Punjab, and we cannot register you, issue a ration card, or release a payment. We only explain how the official process works.