England will test universal basic income and offer £1,600 per participant – Europe

The pilot program will test universal basic income for the first time in England and will be implemented in just two sites, with a total of 30 volunteers, according to the British newspaper. Watchman. Thus, a monthly check is issued to ensure economic security, regardless of whether the citizen has a job or not.

The test will take place in Jarrow, North East, and East Finchley, North London, and will run for two years. Each of the 30 participants will receive 1,600 pounds per month (about 1,850 euros at current exchange rates) and the impact of the money will be analyzed on both a physical and psychological level.

Home Rule, the entity that supports testing in England, said Will Strong, director of the Think Tank. “Our society will need a universal basic income in the coming years, given the disruption of climate change, technological disruption, and industrial transformation that we will face in the short term. That is why these tests make sense, to prepare ourselves for implementation at the national level,” he emphasized.

In this first test in England, participants will be randomly selected from among volunteers, and 20% of the group will be people with disabilities. The results of 30 participants will also be compared to a control group that will not receive a monthly income of 1,600 pounds.

Cleo Goodman, co-founder of Basic Income Dialogue, says that “no one should have to face poverty, choosing between heating and food, in one of the richest countries in the world. Universal basic income has the potential to simplify social security and tackle poverty in England.” .