ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the political chances of a Basic Income Guarantee (BIG) in the low countries and the probability of incremental steps in that direction. It reviews the main social assistance programs of Ireland and the Netherlands. The chapter demonstrates that a paradigm shift is underway that may at first sight seriously undermine the progress to a more universal and unconditional income-security system. It focuses on the reasons of failure to gain support, which are of paramount importance for the future prospects of unconditional minimum income schemes. The Belgian and Dutch minimum income guarantees are financed through general taxation and are designed to provide a safety net for those who have lost other entitlements or have no other means of subsistence. The chapter explores why, given the obstacles and objections they encountered, most Dutch and BIG proponents have adopted an incremental approach.
