The money, known as a Guaranteed Basic Income, is generally awarded for a year or two in monthly payments of $500 to $1,000. To see how the programs are working, we interviewed dozens of participants from a wide range of backgrounds and circumstances. What we found is that a guaranteed income — even a small one — can have a profound impact on people’s lives. To be sure, the guaranteed income isn’t enough to guarantee a better life. “The income makes the pain a little bit more tolerable, but it doesn’t take it completely away.

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Persons: Jessica Nairns, ”, “, didn’t, Raven Smith Locations: Austin, Portland