Even more Americans are starting to qualify for universal basic income programs as states attempt to help struggling residents.
400 residents in Newark, New Jersey will qualify to receive $250 every two weeks over the span of two years.
This is one of Newark’s newest guaranteed income pilot programs.
The program started earlier, and officials have been trying to expand it since May.
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The program is being tested in two different ways.
First, half of the participants will be given $250 every two weeks, and then the second half will be given $3,000 payments twice each year.
Participants will be getting either $12,000 or $6,000.
How Newark, New Jersey’s universal basic income program works
1,200 residents were able to apply for the program in July with the help of the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Guaranteed Income Research.
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In order to qualify, residents needed to be 18 or older, have an income at or below 200% of the federal poverty line, and must show they were adversely impacted by the pandemic.
A family of four has a federal poverty line of $26,200.
The portal for applications was closed just two hours after opening after receiving over 1,200 applications.
The study is called The Newark Movement for Economic Equity.
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$6.2 million dollars were raised to fund the program, some privately and some from the American Rescue Act.
The public and private partnership fueling the program will help shed light on how important philanthropic efforts are to help the community.
After the two years are up, the city will analyze the data to decide what policy changes should be made.
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