Finland Wins Praise For Plans To Give Every Citizen 800 Euros A Month And Scrap Benefits

Finland Could Have The Perfect Answer To The British Welfare State

Finland's government is formulating plans to scrap benefits completely and to give each of its citizens the same basic income of 800 euros (£574) a month.

The Finnish Social Insurance Institute (Kela) - which proposed the idea - also commissioned a poll that showed 69% supported the basic income plan.

But the Finns weren't the only ones who appeared to support the idea, with many praising the idea on Twitter, and suggesting the UK adopt it.

Whilst some just wanted to move to Finland:

And some claimed we'd already been down that route:

The major factor blocking the system taking place would be the economic burden on the country. To implement the basic income it would cost the government roughly €46.7 billion per year.

Switzerland - also keen on the idea - is to hold a referendum on a basic income program next year, according to Bloomberg. However it is also unlikely to adopt the idea because of the expense.

Kela's proposals are due to be submitted in November 2016.

Criticisms of the idea suggest that a blanket wage would lead to a lazy population, but some experiments have shown that people provided with a basic income don't lead idle lives.

A study conducted in Uganda indicated that people given such assistance invest in their personal development and end up in more qualified positions, working longer hours and earning more than those who don't have a safety net.

Finnish Prime Minister Juha Sipilä has come out in support of the idea, stating: “For me, a basic income means simplifying the social security system.”

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