A former basic income recipient used her $500 a month check to start a business. It's keeping her afloat 4 years later.

Crystal Crawford, 40, received a $500 monthly basic income for one year. Photo Courtesy of Crystal Crawford Crystal Crawford, 40, received $500 a month for one year from a guaranteed basic income pilot. Years later, she landed a new job and feels more able to pay household bills. Crawford still worries about savings, but feels GBI was helpful for her stability. Crystal Crawford wasn't losing sleep over bills. She could confidently afford her apartment in Augusta, Georgia, and felt her spending was well within her means. That all changed in the summer of 2020, when she unexpectedly lost her job as a social worker. Amid the financial anxiety, Crawford learned that she qualified for a local guaranteed basic income program . Nearly 300 households in the area received $500 a month for one year. She said the cash she received between December 2021 and December 2022 was the leg up she needed. "If it wasn't for that one moment, I don't know where I would be," she told Business Insider. Three years later, the now 40-year-old has her own business and landed a new role as a community engagement specialist. She still has student debt — but finally has hope she can chip away at the balance. Basic income programs became popular over the past decade to alleviate sky-high housing and grocery costs in big cities. The model — which gives no-strings-attached cash to low-income households — has been tried hundreds of times. Economic security advocates, alongside big-name tech leaders, have advocated for GBI as a support for workers in an increasingly AI-dominated job market. And Business Insider has heard from dozens of participants , many of whom used the money to afford rent, childcare, emergency expenses, and job training. Studies touting the success of basic income tend to follow participants during and immediately after their programs. It's less clear how people fare in the years after their cash payments end. Crawford said she's still seeing a payoff. "Having the flexibility to be able to pay for things — like being able to get your hair done for a potential interview — guaranteed income allowed me to do things that I probably would not have been able to do during that time," she said. Crawford has built better career stability, but still worries about finances Crawford's basic income program, called the Income Mobility Program for Atlanta Community Transformation, included participants earning up to 200% of the federal poverty line, which was $25,760 annually for a single person at the time. Overall, data from the pilot shows that housing stability and savings improved for participants, but the money did not materially improve employment outcomes. After losing her job — and being unable to rely on nannying or other in-person side hustles at the peak of the pandemic — Crawford said she didn't know where her "next dollar was coming from" and struggled to stay on top of her rent and utility payments. The extra $500 a month allowed her to pay her bills and establish her own business as a strategic partner, helping C-Suite leaders plan and reach their goals. She said the cash helped cover the upfront costs of this work: Getting business certifications, building a website, and marketing herself to clients. She has since floated between a couple of corporate social work jobs, and this side business provides her with a steady income to fall back on. In July, she started a role as a community engagement specialist for an online school, and "it's literally the perfect position." Crawford has some lingering financial concerns. She wishes that her GBI cohort had more logistical support, like help navigating other aid programs. Crawford was one of the first participants in her GBI pilot, and she said resources like that hadn't yet been created. Benefits counseling is now commonplace for US basic income programs. "I feel like my financial status has gotten better," she said. "But I am definitely not where I want to be." She added that she still has student loan debt in deferment from earning her master's degree before the pandemic, and that the balance in her emergency savings account isn't where she wants it to be. She hopes to soon start paying down her loan balance through an income-based repayment plan. Typically, basic income programs like Crawford's are designed for short-term financial support and are at the whim of limited government and philanthropic backing. Cities in the US haven't tried the cash payment model for more than a few years at a time, largely because of funding barriers. The programs have also faced criticism over their cost and effectiveness. Some tech leaders who previously championed basic income for displaced workers now say the impact doesn't justify the investment, and some say cash payments require too much taxpayer support alongside existing social safety net programs. Some critics worry that the programs discourage participants from working to earn a paycheck. Crawford, however, hopes cities will continue investing in cash to support lower-income households. Because, for her, the money has had a lasting impact. "That there are no stereotypes when it comes to guaranteed income," she said. "The educated folks need guaranteed income, people who are responsible with their money need guaranteed income. Financial hardship can happen to anyone." Read the original article on Business Insider