(Basic) Income

This research theme examines the role that income plays in producing better health and social outcomes. Within the public policy literature, there is extensive research related to the different types of policy instruments available from:

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• conditional cash transfers such as the Bolsa Familia Program in Brazil where certain conditions must be met;

• unconditional cash transfers such as the pilot program in Finland where no conditions must be met to receive the cash transfer;

• an MCHP study that showed that the Healthy Baby prenatal benefit was associated with better birth outcomes;

• legislation such as changes to minimum wage laws;

• and many other instruments such as regulations and tax expenditures as two examples.

Unfortunately, income data is not available at the Manitoba Data Repository. Without this data, SPECTRUM will need to get creative in how we develop evidence on income. The Repository does house data on financial assistance, which can be leveraged by research team members to examine this social issue. An example of this kind of creativity might include linking employment and income assistance (EIA) data with data on demographics, mental health, education, social service use (e.g., public housing), and justice system encounters in order to compare outcomes between different types of EIA recipients (i.e. long-term vs. short-term). This kind of evidence could help identify the impacts of financial benefit programs on social outcomes.

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However, we are just beginning the work in this research theme by connecting with partners and hearing about their priorities and ideas.  The first research question will be collaboratively developed and not limited to the example above.  At this stage, we are hearing from interested partners and continually asking: whose voice needs to be at this table?