#BasicIncomeBoughtMe is a social media campaign highlighting how Ontario Basic Income Pilot participants talked about spending their basic income payments
“How would people spend a basic income?”
It’s a question that advocates hear a lot. Sometimes it comes from a place of skepticism or stereotypes, but also genuine curiosity. For those without firsthand experience, basic income can feel a bit mysterious. Understanding what people purchase when they have access to reliable income - and the effects these purchases have on their lives - can make a vague policy idea feel a lot more tangible.
#BasicIncomeBoughtMe is a collaborative project between researchers who studied the Ontario Basic Income Pilot (Chloe Halpenny, Kendal David, Dr. Beth Martin, Mohammad Ferdosi, Dr. Tom McDowell, Rebekah Ederer, and Amy Ma), the Hamilton Roundtable for Poverty Reduction, and the Basic Income Canada Youth Network.
Drawing from 68 interviews across two different research projects (one of which is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council), #BasicIncomeBoughtMe uses social media to highlight how OBIP participants talked about spending their basic income payments - and just how powerful basic income can be.
Ultimately, #BasicIncomeBoughtMe is about the agency and dignity offered by unconditional cash transfer programs.
It reflects a firm belief that individuals have the right to spend basic income in whatever way they see fit. In addition, instead of focusing on the tragedy of poverty, it aims to highlight that better policy responses to income insecurity - like basic income! - not only exist, but are actionable and impactful.
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