The Scotsman

Cost of basic income scheme rises

- By TOM PETERKIN

A Scottish Government scheme to pilot a citizens’ basic income has trebled in cost to the taxpayer, new figures have suggested.

Ministers said they would set aside £250,000 to establish schemes in several local authority areas to examine giving every resident a state handout. But documents, obtained by the Tories under Freedom of Informatio­n legislatio­n, show that participat­ing councils have stumped up around £600,000 extra in cash and staff time.

The extra cost included £145,000 in North Ayrshire, £198,000 for Fife Council, £100,000 for Glasgow City and £154,000 for Edinburgh City.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has promised to look at introducin­g a basic income for every citizen.

Under the scenario proposed by campaigner­s, the basic income would be set at £11,500 for pensioners and £9,000 for adults, with an extra £4,600 for parents with a child. But the Scottish Government’s own advice has described the policy as “unaffordab­le”witheconom­icmodellin­g suggesting a tax rate on all earned income of 40 per cent would be required to provide a basic income near the current Job Seeker’s Allowance rate of £74 per week.

Scottish Conservati­ve shadow social security secretary Michelle Ballantyne said: “This initiative is an SNP vanity project. It’s completely unaffordab­le, unsustaina­ble, and will end up harming those it’s supposed to help.”

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