Cook County, which includes Chicago, has made its guaranteed minimum income permanent

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Business Insider

Nov 22, 2025, 3:47 PM ET


Many American cities and counties have been experimenting with a novel concept: Giving financially vulnerable residents free money every month without expecting anything in return. The goal is to let those people decide for themselves how best to spend the extra cash, rather than requiring them to spend it on certain kinds of food or other necessities.

When those programs end, many report largely positive results. Few, however, are ever made permanent. Cook County in Illinois, which includes Chicago, is now an exception.

The Cook County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved its 2026 budget proposal on Thursday, and it includes $7.5 million for a guaranteed basic income program. Cook County had earlier run a basic income experiment for two years. It provided $500 a month to 3,200 households during that time. The last payment went out in January.

"The County will invest $7.5 million to continue supporting the Guaranteed Income program, providing direct unconditional monetary support to help residents live healthier and more stable lives," the county's now-approved budget proposal says.

Read more: https://www.businessinsider.com/basic-income-cook-county-illinois-chicago-ubi-2025-11

[Cheezoholic]

1. This is going to become a serious possibly absolute necessity over the next couple of decades nationally n/t

[EmmaLee E]

2. As I recall, Richard Nixon

Floated the idea of guaranteed basic income back in the 70s

[malthaussen]

3. Philp Jose Farmer floated it in 1967

In his award-winning novella, "Riders of the Purple Wage."

-- Mal

[malthaussen]

4. On the one hand, great. Also surprising.

As the article notes, this idea has been tried many different times in many different places. It has always achieved results far in excess of expectations, and always been shelved immediately.

On the other hand -- it's 7.5 million, which is peanuts. It's 3200 households, which is a fraction of Cook County's population.

Still, amazing that somebody finally made it "permanent," although of course it can be removed from the 2027 Budget.

-- Mal

[progree]

5. If it's still 3,200 households, that comes to an annual $7.5 M / 3200 equals $2344 per household equals $195/month

(I have to use "equals" because DU software eliminates equal signs in the title line)

There were 1,974,181 households in Cook County in the 2000 census
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cook_County,_Illinois

They give the total population too -- 5,182,617 in 2024-- which is down 3.6% from 2000.

If the number of households is also down by 3.6%, that would come to 1,902,900 households.

3,200 households is 0.17% of the total number of households (one in 595 households)

Averaging this largess over all households (or figuring out what it costs in taxes on average)

$7.5 million/year / 1.903 million households is $3.94 per household/year

[malthaussen]

6. It is, nevertheless, better than nothing.

I'd like to see how much extra revenue that $3.94 per household/year will generate for Cook County. Methinks the program will pay for itself many times over.

-- Mal