Lindsay announced as test area for the Basic Income pilot project

Lindsay was chosen as one of three locations for the pilot and will roll out in the fall. The pilot will also take place in Hamilton, Brantford and Brant County and Thunder Bay in the late spring. The locations were selected so that the pilot can study outcomes in urban, rural and mixed urban/rural areas. The regions were also assessed for their economic need, demographics and access to local resources and services.

Mayor Andy Letham commented, "We are very pleased that the province is taking steps to find alternative ways to deliver services. At all levels of government, we are being challenged to re-think the ways we tackle the big issues, including poverty reduction. In the City of Kawartha Lakes, we have been making intentional changes, from the size of our Council to the way we deliver fire services, in order to become more efficient. We see this test period as an opportunity to explore ways to increase quality of life and access to services for our residents who are currently living on low incomes."

How the program will work:
Closer to the fall, randomly selected individuals from Lindsay will receive information in the mail inviting them to apply to be part of the Ontario Basic Income Pilot (OBIP).

Eligible individuals will then be selected to either receive the basic income or be part of a control group made up of people who will not receive payments. Individuals receiving the basic income will be compared to the selected control group.

Participants will be:

• Randomly selected
• 18 to 64 years old
• Living in one of the test locations for the past 12 months or longer
• Living on a low income

How much will participants receive?
The payment will account for other income and ensure a minimum level of income is provided. Participants will receive:

• Up to $16,989 per year for a single person, less 50 per cent of any earned income
• Up to $24,027 per year for a couple, less 50 per cent of any earned income
• Up to an additional $6,000 per year for a person with a disability

For more information on the Basic Income pilot project:

Website: http://ontario.ca/basicincome
Email: basicincome@ontario.ca
Phone: 1-844-217-4516

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For more information please contact:

Cheri Davidson
Manager of Communications, Advertising and Marketing
705-324-9411 extension 1355
cdavidson@city.kawarthalakes.on.ca