In recent years, the idea of establishing a basic universal income has been coming back to the table regularly. Ulster County, in upstate New York, has decided to go for it. Or at least test it, report Business Insider. Thus, 100 residents, earning less than 46,900 dollars per year, were selected and will receive each month for one year a payment of 500 dollars.
The Universal Basic Income pilot program was launched in mid-May. “We won’t tell you how to spend your extra income, nor will we include requirements such as employment,” the county said on its site. “By providing a minimum income each month, we believe that households will be able to organize themselves better, meet their basic needs, become self-reliant and further exploit their potential.”
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More than 4,200 people applied for this program, and its funding was made possible through private donations. Annette Steele, a participant in the program, told AP News that even if she is employed as a special education teacher, this additional monthly income is a real financial boost. “It lowers my bills. People think that because you have worked for so many years, you are making so much money. But no, actually,” she explained.
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Ulster County is not the first to implement a universal income test. Chicago, Boston, and St. Paul, among others, have similar programs in place. But these programs, including the one in upstate New York, are only temporary, even as some Democrats are pushing for a universal basic income to be implemented nationwide.
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