Basic income experiment in Finland

The ESPN Flash Reports are produced by the European Social Policy Network (ESPN) established in 2014 to provide the European Commission with independent information, analysis and expertise on social policies. The topics presented in the Flash Reports are identified by ESPN experts in the light of significant developments in their countries, or in some cases suggested by the Commission.

The ESPN is managed by LISER and APPLICA, with the support of OSE - European Social Observatory. For more information, please visit this website.
The Finnish government announced an experiment on basic income in the country. The motivation behind the experiment is manifold: to combat work disincentives, make work pay, streamline the benefit system, diminish bureaucracy, and tailor social policy better to adapt to changes in the labour market. The budget for the experiment is €20M for 2017 to 2018.

Authors: Olli Kangas and Laura Kalliomaa-Puha