Ontario has announced it could soon be sending a monthly cheque to its residents as it plans to launch an experiment testing the basic income concept. While officials in the Canadian province are yet to release any specific details of the project – including how much will be given to residents who participate – the finance ministry has published a report confirming the government’s intention to roll out the experiment.

Finland has been giving 2,000 of its citizens an unconditional income for the last five months and some are already seeing the benefits, reporting decreased stress, greater incentives to find work and more time to pursue business ideas. The scheme is the first of its kind in Europe and sees participants receive €560 (£473) every month for two years. Recipients do not have to demonstrate that they are seeking employment and they are not required to regularly report to authorities to prove they still need the payment, as is the case with standard unemployment benefits.

A promise of equal opportunity

“Basic income” would be an amount sufficient to secure basic needs as a permanent earnings floor no one could fall beneath, and would replace many of today’s temporary benefits, which are given only in case of emergency, and/or only to those who successfully pass the applied qualification tests. UBI would be a promise of equal opportunity, not equal outcome, a new starting line set above the poverty line.

alwihdainfo (30.05.2017) Le gouvernement réfléchi à un système de protection sociale au Tchad, qui permettrait de garantir une couverture de santé à des millions de tchadiens qui en sont dépourvus.

lenouvelliste.com (25.05.2017) La direction du Développement des activités de santé en Haïti (DASH), en partenariat avec la Banque interaméricaine de développement (BID), a présenté ce jeudi les résultats du projet ‘’Carte assurance santé’’ réalisée dans le cadre d’un partenariat DASH/BID-FORMIN. Ce projet était conçu dans l’objectif de tester un modèle de santé prépayé qui fournit une protection financière importante aux familles à faibles ressources. Les résultats ont démontré que ce type de projet était viable.

tiemposur (05.06.2017) Se trata de aquellas personas que, por diversas situaciones, solo realizan aportes durante algunos meses pero cumplen con los requisitos para cobrarlas todo el año. Las prestaciones corresponden a Hijo e Hijo por Discapacidad.

The Information Center on Social Protection (CIPS) is a website that provides information in Portuguese on the social protection area (www.cipsocial.org).

Its main purpose is to, on the one hand, respond to the knowledge needs of the Portuguese Speaking Countries: Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal, São Tome and Principe, Timor-Leste. On the other hand, make available information on the existing social protection realities of these countries.

ft.com (26.05.2017) Universal basic income is receiving ever wider attention. The OECD has now weighed in with a simple but extremely useful analysis of the feasibility of UBI in its member countries. The titular question of its policy brief is well posed: “Basic income as a policy option: can it add up?”

alwihdainfo (30.05.2017) Le gouvernement réfléchi à un système de protection sociale au Tchad, qui permettrait de garantir une couverture de santé à des millions de tchadiens qui en sont dépourvus.