Over the last couple of years, Universal Basic Income (UBI) has become increasingly popular, with an increasing number of cases backing up the benefits of such government programs. In Finland, for instance, people who received unconditional free money on a monthly basis did not only see their social and working lives improving but their mental health as well.
The same evidence comes from Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, where, in 2017 the government kicked off a three-year basic income pilot project. As part of the scheme, some 4,000 people were handed enough money to cover their basic needs — and the data suggests that the program was an enormous success.
First up, contrary to one of the biggest criticisms of UBI that people would stop working once they received the money, working participants were actually able to move to better-paying, more secure jobs.
What’s more, according to a new report by researchers who worked on the project, participants became happier and healthier. With less financial pressure and more time on their hands, many participants were able to take better care of their health, with about 50 percent claiming to have used less tobacco and alcohol.
