Ireland's Basic Income for the Arts experiment has given creatives a weekly payment for three years. Now, a permanent program could be on the way.

As Ireland’s $1,500-a-month basic income pilot program for creatives nears its end in February, officials have to answer a simple question: Is it worth it?

With four months to go, they say the answer is yes.

Earlier this month, Ireland’s government announced its 2026 budget, which includes “a successor to the pilot Basic Income Scheme for the Arts to begin next year” among its expenditures.

Ireland is just one of many places experimenting with guaranteed basic income programs, which provide recurring, unrestricted payments to people in a certain demographic. These programs differ from a universal basic income, which would provide payments for an entire population.

  • givesomefucks@lemmy.worldEnglish
    7·
    3 days ago

    All these good sounding programs sound great in theory, until you find out that the lobbist controlling their actual enactment will make it a lot easier for CEOs to request the funds than actual homeless artists

    No, means testing is so ignorant people switch from:

    We should all get this

    To

    The people I don’t like shouldn’t get this

    If people drawing one dick but a month gets this, it’s only so people like you will be turned against UBI.

    Shits too important to allow that ignorance to go unaddressed.

    Because after it’s explained, you either get back on the side of the people, or make it obvious that you’re just against UBI for reasons other than you said