HELSINKI: Finland has denied widespread claims its basic income experiment has fallen flat.
A series of media reports said the Finnish government had decided not to expand its trial – a version of events which has been repudiated by officials.
Miska Simanainen, a social affairs official, said the trial, where about 2,000 unemployed people aged 25-58 are being paid a tax-free €560 (£490) monthly income with no questions asked, was “proceeding as planned.”
The €20m programme, which seeks to reform Finland’s social security system, ends in December, at which point Prime Minister Juha Sipila’s centre-right government will assess initial results.
Reports have said the government social affairs agency has requested up to €70m in extra funding this year, something Mr Simanainen says is false.
Finland became the first country in Europe to start the basic income experiment in January 2017.