Finland To Pay Citizens $870 Per Month
Those struggling to make ends meet in Finland could soon get some extra cash, courtesy of the government. The Nordic nation is considering plans to hand over 800 tax-free euros to citizens every month. And it’s not just for citizens who are strapped for cash—every resident would receive a monthly payment equivalent to about $870.
The monthly €800 payment would replace all other welfare, social security programs, unemployment payments, The Independent reports. The Finnish government plans to begin testing the program in 2017.
Finland’s unemployment rate is at a 10-year high of more than 9 percent (the United States’ rate is 5.4 percent). Some fear that the basic income would be unfair, with the wealthy receiving the same amount as the poor. Others worry it might make people less eager to find work, but the monthly check is actually designed to get people back into the workforce. For many Finnish citizens, getting a part-time or low-paying job could impact their welfare benefits; leaving them worse off than if they did not work at all.
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“For me, a basic income means simplifying the social security system,” said Prime Minister Juha Sipila, who supports the idea, according to The Telegraph. A survey by the Finnish Social Insurance Institution found that 69 percent of citizens would prefer basic income to other benefits.
http://news.yahoo.com/finland-plans-every-citizen-rich-poor-870-month-002158545.html
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iow, are they getting a "pay cut" or are they staying more or less the same?
It depends on the cost of living in Finland, but that doesn't seem like enough to pay rent and food. But it's hard to believe they'd be throwing the elderly out in the street.
There's just not enough detail in the article to make a reasonable comparison. $870 may go much further in Finland than it does here. That amount would barely pay rent for a room in most of the US. 
Response to erpowers (Original post)
