(Radio Iowa) – Researchers are studying the results of an experiment that gave dozens of low-income Iowans 500-dollars a month for two years. There were 110 participants in the Central Iowa Basic Income Pilot who were given the money, and they were compared to members of a control group that were given nothing. One of the lead researchers, Amy Castro at the University of Pennsylvania, says one thing they looked at was if participants felt like they mattered.
Castro says, “I love this quote here from Ellie who said, ‘The $500 was so awesome because it’s like, I’m part of the middleman group where you get forgotten, and because I’m not struggling enough to actually get the help I need, but I’m not making enough money to survive.'” Castro says the extra money helped participants feel validated in their communities, which led them to feel more self-reliant about moving forward. The study looked at how basic income impacted finances, health and the mental well-being of participants.
Lead researcher Stacia West, at the University of Pennsylvania, says the small financial boost gave people the mindset to plan for their future. West says, “It caused improvements in savings, it caused reductions in stress, it bolstered agency, pathways, importance, awareness and reliance.” West says they didn’t completely recover financially, but it gave participants the ability to pursue resources they couldn’t access before.
The two-year program launched in 2023 in Polk, Dallas and Warren counties. A 2024 state law prohibits local governments from participating in similar programs in the future.
