Illinois County just launched the nation's largest guaranteed income program: Newsicon 🇩🇪

The second largest county in the United States has just launched what is officially the largest guaranteed basic income pilot program in the country, leading the national movement for a universal basic income.

The Cook County Promise Guaranteed Income pilot program will provide up to 3,250 eligible residents with $ 500 per month in cash prizes for two years. Residents in the district, which includes Chicago, are eligible to apply for the program from Thursday through October 21, and payments are expected to begin in December.

Applicants must live in Cook County, be at least 18 years old, not enrolled in any other guaranteed income program, and have a family income equal to or below 250% of the federal poverty line. Individuals are not required to verify citizenship or immigration status on the application.

“After months of hard work, Cook County is proud to launch the application portal for the largest publicly funded guaranteed income pilot project in American history,” said County Council President Toni Preckwinkle, adding that his office has more than one third of these are estimated to be eligible district residents to apply. Preckwinkle said she hopes to make the program permanent for years to come.

Historically, both public and private institutions have not been willing to invest directly in low and moderate income people without significant restrictions in place. This is a misunderstanding and a terrible prejudice that past governments have taken part in.

The $ 42 million program is funded entirely by the American Rescue Plan Act, which the White House passed to assist those directly affected by the pandemic. Preckwinkle said the county plans to continue supporting the program through its budget and philanthropic support beyond the pilot phase.

“In the past, both public and private institutions have been reluctant to invest directly in low- and middle-income people without significant restrictions. This is a misunderstanding and a terrible prejudice that previous governments have engaged in, “said the district chief. tweeted.

“Instead, decades of research show that people spend the benefits wisely, leading to greater financial stability and better physical, emotional and social outcomes.”

The demand for a universal basic income has grown nationwide over the years. Tech billionaires have talked about UBI acting as a buffer against growing automation, and businessman Andrew Yang backed the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination saying every American should get $ 1,000 a month. The idea was considered far-fetched by many officials until the outbreak of the pandemic, showing how much a person’s basic needs depend on job security and climate security.

Stockton, California has been running a guaranteed income program since 2019 that provides $ 500 a month with no strings attached to 125 people earning less than the city’s median income. The program showed that 40% of the money was spent on groceries, 12% on utility bills, 9% on car-related expenses, and the rest on things like health insurance, clothing, and recreation.

The program showed that UBI was not only necessary, but that providing guaranteed income to low-income families directly helps the economy. The mayor, who led the Stockton program, said in 2020 that he believes critics who think people are poor because of bad choices are “uncomfortable giving other people – mainly blacks, blacks – choices to make money. “. .

“Guaranteed income programs promise to improve economic mobility and promote racial justice,” said Carmelo Barbaro, executive director of the University of Chicago’s Exclusive Economy Lab. “In order to expand these programs locally and nationally, we need to gather evidence on how dollars are most effectively allocated and how families are using these programs to achieve their goals.”

The lab is working with the university’s Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy and Practice to research and evaluate the pilot program as it progresses, the county said.

The Cook County program comes when the city of Chicago begins mailing $ 500 worth of checks to 5,000 families selected for its cash assistance program. The Chicago Resilient Communities Pilot is a $ 31.5 million commitment from the city’s Department of Family and Support Services as part of efforts to help residents recover financially from the pandemic.

Illinois County just launched the nation’s largest guaranteed income program: Newsicon 🇩🇪

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