Finland May Give All Citizens Basic Income of 800 Euros

Finland is planning to offer a national basic income to all of its citizens of 800 euros ($870) a month.

The final proposal for the plan won’t be released until Nov. 2016, Quartz reports, but the new plan will replace existing benefit offerings. The goal of the new proposal is to curb unemployment by making it easier for residents to take low-paying jobs. If it moves forward with the plan, the country will become the first to implement a universal basic income, according to Bloomberg.

Polls suggest the plan is popular among the public, though as Quartz reports, it raises questions about how to hand out money to so many people and whether it will actually translate to better outcomes for citizens. Prime Minister Juha Sipila told the BBC, “For me, a basic income means simplifying the social security system.”

[Quartz]

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