Basic Income Advocates Release New Report
A Proposal for a Guaranteed Basic Income Benefit in Prince Edward Island
Leading basic income experts suggest a province-wide guaranteed basic income in PEI is feasible and realistic, will reduce poverty.
On November 22, 2023, leading basic income experts released a new report called A Proposal for a Guaranteed Basic Income Benefit in Prince Edward Island. This report presents a basic income model for a fully-funded 5-7-year demonstration program in PEI, which would considerably reduce poverty for Islanders while being more cost-effective than previously presented models.
Championed by public servants, politicians, and advocates from PEI and across the country, this report is the outcome of more than 2 years of collaboration and will help guide crucial conversations on poverty reduction and income assistance in PEI and across the country. The PEI Working Group for a Livable Income, of which Cooper Institute is a member, believe the report establishes beyond doubt that a province-wide guaranteed basic income in PEI is feasible and realistic. They say that with the proposed model, low-income Islanders who constantly fall through the cracks of social welfare systems would gain an income floor and the security to live in good health and dignity.
The report calls for the government of PEI to begin immediate negotiations with the federal government for the development and implementation of a basic income guarantee demonstration program. PEI has been identified as an excellent place for a basic income demonstration in Canada due to its mixed economy and size.
Building on the work of the Special Committee on Poverty in PEI, and in support of the statement in the current Mandate Letter to the Minister of Social Development and Seniors to “continue to advocate the federal government in pursuing a joint pilot program for a basic income guarantee,” this report presents a basic income design that considerably reduces poverty for Islanders.