Germany: the consequences of a universal income questioned by a study

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What consequences would the payment of a universal wage have on society, the world of work and politics? The DIW institute in Berlin, close to the unions, has just launched a vast study to try to answer these questions.

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With our correspondent in Berlin ,  Nathalie Versieux

The universal wage, the unconditional payment of a minimum income for all, is debated in Germany as elsewhere in Europe. For the DIW study 120 people will receive 1,200 euros per month for three years, without conditions. The sample must be representative of society, from the unemployed to retirees, including manual workers and senior managers.

The initiative is supported by the universal pro-wage association Mein Grundeinkomen, which funds the experiment from donations. For three years, the data provided by these universal wage guinea pigs will be compared with that of a control sample of some 1,300 people.

The DIW wants to see how professional life evolves, the structuring of a day by the individual, food, human relations, associative commitment. Are beneficiaries becoming more lazy or more creative? The study should advance the debate, based on scientific evidence.

►Also read: Universal income, sweet utopia or real revolution?

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