Majority of Finns say no to universal basic income

The majority of Finnish residents said they do not support the universal basic income scheme introduced by the government, showed a latest survey commissioned by Finnish Business and Policy Forum EVA.

The poll published on Monday indicated that some 60 percent of Finns opposed the model, saying that social benefits should be based on need, while only 27 percent of residents thought that Finland should implement the universal basic income model for all people in the country.

Those who said no to the scheme believed that social security should be based on reasons rather than the basic income for everyone without a reason.

The reason-based social security means that there must be always a clearly defined reason for receiving allowance, such as unemployment, low income, illness, or studying.

Moreover, 55 present of Finns suggested that Finland needs to modernize its social security system, saying that a variety of social benefits should be combined as much as possible. They also said that authorities should provide more guidance and advice to benefit recipients.

The survey was conducted by Taloustutkimus, a Finnish market research company, which queried 2,007 Finnish residents between 18 and 70 years old in late September and early October of 2018.

At the beginning of 2017, Finland launched the two-year basic income experiment, in which 2,000 unemployed people randomly selected by the country's the social insurance institute receive 560 euros per month.

The Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health announced the results of the first-year experiment in February 2019. The assessment showed the steady income improved participants' sense of happiness, but did not increase employment, which is one of the principal goals of the model.