Report Proposes 329 Euro Guaranteed Minimum Income
Every fifth person in Estonia lives in relative poverty and a 329 euro per household guaranteed income would be enough to tackle poverty, a European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN) report said.
EAPN organized a debate in Parliament on Wednesday, saying that the European Parliament has approved a resolution that a minimum income should be 60 percent of a nation's median income, which works out to 329 euros per household in Estonia.
Tallinn University professor Lauri Leppik said a 329-euro per month guaranteed income would cost 208 million euros annually – 1.2 percent of GDP.
Riina Solman, the Estonian coordinator for EAPN, told ERR radio that people are not able to survive with the current model of benefits.
Solman said the 329-euro figure is a few years old and only takes into consideration the very basic requirements. She said the figure should be reevaluated, and expenses such as a internet conection, which is vital for school children, also added.
Solman said not only those on benefits fall into the relative or absolute poverty categories, but also people with jobs.