The government in Finland are doing the unthinkable and scrapping the benefit system entirely. Instead they are going to offer every single citizen 800 euros regardless of whether they are working or not.

This is a revolutionary idea that has gained real traction among the Finish people. 69% of citizens agree with the idea.

The concept is simple, people who don’t work should never earn more than the people that do. This is often the case with the traditional benefits system and has been a real problem in the UK in recent years.

The social security system in both the UK and Finland is complex and millions of pounds are wasted on bureaucracy. This system simplifies everything. If you are citizen 800 euros will appear in your account every month, then any work you do will supplement it. Simple.

Prime Minister Juha Sipila was quote by QZ as backing the idea. “For me, a basic income means simplifying the social security system,” she said.

The proposal would entitle each Finn to 800 euros tax free each month, which according to Bloomberg, would cost the government 52.2 billion euros a year.

This is a really exciting proposal that could save the Finish government millions. Its Prime Minister Juha Petri Sipilä says the ‘basic income’ plan will go go to a vote in November 2016. With the popularity of the proposal being so high its hard to imagine the idea not being approved.

The Netherlands has already been trialling a similar proposal, with Utrecht set to undergo a pilot project next year. Lets hope the proposal is a success then we might be able to consider rolling it out across the UK.