Govind Tekale
US citizens from various states and regions are offered money to lead a comfortable life, a concept that has yet to be widely practised globally. In New York’s Rochester, the Guaranteed Basic Income (GBI) programme, the city’s first guaranteed income initiative, started in 2023. It aims to provide $500 each month for a year to impoverished citizens, given that they meet specific requirements to avail of this benefit.
About 351 citizens from certain areas of Rochester who have lived there for at least a year can avail of the money. Being an unconditional programme, no labour requirements need to be met or are expected from them, nor are there any restrictions on the amount of money that can be spent. They must be 18 or older and fit into the requirements of living at or below 185% of the federal poverty level. Only one member from each household can apply. Once the requirements are met, one can apply for the programme virtually.
The GBI programme, as mentioned on their official website, “Is meant to supplement, rather than replace, the existing social safety net and be a tool for racial and gender equity.” They are also planning to make the data out of this programme to act as a research component and help determine the impacts of the programme and accordingly make future policy decisions around broader poverty reduction programmes.
Similar Posts
Similarly, many other US states have their version of such a guaranteed income programme, but the amount of money provided differs depending on the region. To name a few, Los Angeles provides a monthly payment of $1000 instead of $500, like in Rochester, and around 3200 randomly chosen households have benefited from this program. Santa Fe will provide funding of $400 to 98 young parents who are enrolled in a certificate or degree programme at the Santa Fe Community College and are unable to make ends meet. Other states like Baltimore and Somerville offer substantial amounts of $1000 and $750, respectively, each month.
One of the most significant benefits of a guaranteed income programme is the sense of financial security and stability it provides. People who require such initiatives can live in peace knowing that their basic needs can and will be now covered and can thereby focus on getting back on their own two feet and focus on building better, respectable and more sustainable lives for themselves and their own families.
