Finland's unconditional basic income project ends

Finland is the first country in the world to pay 2,000 randomly selected unemployed people 560 euros a month unconditionally.

Now the experiment is coming to a premature end. The project was planned to run from January 2017 to December 2018.

The concept of the UBI provides for a payment to everyone. There would be no means test by the social administration, nor would anyone be required to be willing to take up paid work. On the other hand, all general tax- and contribution-funded social benefits, such as unemployment benefit, social assistance or child benefit, would be abolished.

The extent to which special social needs are taken into account separately differs between the various models. Any additional costs could be offset by savings in administration, which would become much simpler – so the thinking goes.

Last week the Finnish government decided to end the “unconditional basic income” experiment early. Strictly speaking, the government rejected a request for additional money submitted by Kela, the Finnish social insurance institution. Kela had planned to extend the project this year. Basic income supporters in other EU countries had hoped that the evaluation of the project would confirm their theories. That will now be harder. At least the objectively evaluated results that can be drawn from the project so far are due to be published in 2019.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN