Programs offering guaranteed basic income (GBI) have gained popularity in the United States in recent years as state governments combat poverty and assist their citizens who are having financial difficulties.
GBI has been a well-liked tactic to combat poverty in American cities; since 2019, more than 50 towns have tested the approach. Participants in their pilot program received a fixed monthly payment of $100 to $1,000 with no conditions for a predetermined amount of time.
Participants typically have incomes below the federal poverty threshold. Nonetheless, certain initiatives have also concentrated on targeting particular groups, such expectant and new moms, families with kids, or those who are homeless.
Nonetheless, Republican lawmakers continue to oppose GBI, calling the programs “socialist” and claiming they deter low-income individuals from entering the labor.
In light of this, basic income is not available in all 50 states as Iowa banned it in April, after Arizona’s earlier this year.
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Which states use GBI programs to send payments?
In cities and counties located in Arizona, Alabama, Virginia, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Mississippi, Louisiana, Indiana, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Washington, and Washington, D.C., basic-income pilot programs have been successfully concluded.
The ‘Breathe’ initiative in California offers low-income Los Angeles citizens the opportunity to receive $1,000 per month for three years.
The program has over 1,000 participants. You can get $500 every 12 to 24 months if you live in Long Beach, Mountain View, or Sonoma County.
In their Denver scheme, Colorado chose to divide the projected 800 participants into three groups: the first received $1,000 per month for a year; the second received $6,500 up front and $500 per month thereafter; and the third group received $50 per month.
There are additional state-specific programs in some cities like Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, and Texas. The websites of each state government have more details.
