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In Ontario, Canada, a large-scale social experiment was conducted to provide basic income for 4,000 people from July 2017, but the program was discontinued in March 2019, a little earlier than the originally planned three years. For this Ontario Basic Income Program, a survey found that participants continued to work and became healthier after basic income payments began.
The Ontario Basic Income Program was run under the Liberal Party regime. In the June 2018 parliamentary elections in Ontario, the program was halted when the Conservatives took power and withdrew their vows to continue paying basic income.
The cost of paying basic income is C$50 million per year. The three-year total amounted to Canadian dollars 150 million. The Conservative Party’s government said it wasn’t worth the cost. Lisa MacLeod, who served as the minister of children, communities and social services in Ontario from 2018 to 2019, also pointed out that basic income payments prevent people from becoming devoted to an independent economy.
Todd Smith, who now holds the same ministerial position in the state, issued a statement on March 4 that the state was reviewing a program focused on the unemployed. State officials say that a research project that included only 4,000 people on past basic income programs is not a suitable solution for Ontario, where 2 million people are in poverty.
While the state claimed that the basic income program was a failure, it is pointed out that a survey conducted by the McMaster University research team showed positive results for recipients. According to an anonymous online survey conducted on 217 of the beneficiaries, basic income beneficiaries were more happier, healthier and unable to quit their jobs.
The Ontario program paid C$16,989 annually to low-income single households and C$24,000 annually to married households. If the participant earns income from work, 50% of the income is deducted from their basic income, so if the participant’s income reaches C$34,000 for a single household and C$48,000 for a married household, the payment will be zero.
Even if 50% of the income comes from basic income payments, three-quarters of the people who worked at the start of the program continued to work even after they started receiving basic income. It is also said that half of those who quit their job started attending school to do better than before.
The research team that conducted the survey explained that most of the people who chose to continue working were able to move to jobs that had higher hourly wages, better working conditions, and safer jobs than before.
The research team also conducted face-to-face interviews with 40 participants in the basic income program. One participant said that he was on the verge of suicide in the past and did not know how to live, but he also said that he was able to feel that he was a member of society with the payment of basic income.
In addition, 80% of respondents said their health improved while participating in the program, and about half said their consumption of cigarettes and alcohol declined. In terms of mental health, anxiety and stress were reduced compared to before the basic income was paid, and 81% said they regained their confidence in themselves. In addition, they answered that there were advantages such as improved dietary habits, improved home safety, and reduced frequency of attending hospitals, and 66% said their family relations improved.
The research team said that the results of the survey showed that if some degree of stability was secured, health, mental health, and life outlook improved. Related information can be found here .
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