A bit more scientific

"The basic income experiment seeks answers to the following questions:
How could the social security system be redesigned to address the changing nature of work?
Can the social security system be reshaped in a way that promotes active participation and gives people a stronger incentive to work?
Can bureaucracy be reduced and the complicated benefits system simplified?"
www.kela.fi/web/en/basic-income-objectives-and-implementation

"First results of the basic income experiment were published on 8 February 2019.

The basic income experiment did not increase the employment level of the participants in the first year of the experiment. On the basis of an analysis of register data on an annual level, during the first year of the experiment the recipients of a basic income were no better or worse than the control group at finding employment in the open labour market. The register data are available with a one year delay, which means that the results for the second year of the experiment will be published in the first few months of 2020.

According to a survey, at the end of the experiment the recipients of a basic income perceived their wellbeing as being better than did those in the control group. The recipients of a basic income had less stress symptoms as well as less difficulties to concentrate and less health problems than the control group. They were also more confident in their future and in their ability to influence societal issues.
...
A more extensive study report on the first year of the experiment will be completed in spring 2019. The results of the whole experiment will be completed in spring 2020.

The analysis will include both a register-based study and a phone survey among members of the experimental group and the control group.

The main goal of the analysis is to help understand how receiving a basic income affects the income and employment status of the participants. The impact of the basic income on the participants’ general well-being will also be investigated. The experimental group of 2,000 persons is compared against a control group comprised of individuals who were not selected for the experimental group."
www.kela.fi/web/en/experimental-study-on-a-universal-basic-income

It just proves that the unemployed are either unemployable, or lazy and feckless. And it didn't require an expensive trial throwing money at such people to know that.

In the UK, rather than throwing money at workshy, idle, worthless spongers, they should use it to improve the state pension, given that the UK has the lowest state pension of any developed country. (And while they're at it, they should inflation-link expat state pensions.)

www.theguardian.com/money/2017/dec/05/oecd-uk-has-lowest-state-pension-of-any-developed-country

I'm not going into this, but only want to say that as far as I know any benefit (social, pension, etc.) is taxed. At least in the Netherlands.

The DWP sent me a Statutory Residency Test, it seems they want to understand where I live my life, without regard to the number of days spent in any particular locale. The request came about because I explained to them verbally that I now try and spend six months in Thailand six months in the UK and this seems to have confused them, I've gone from black and white to grey.

The questions were interesting,

- did I buy a one way ticket to the UK or was it a return - hah, you can't catch me on that one, it was one way of course silly.
- where are my personal possessions stored, photographs and the like - my laptop or The Cloud seemed an inappropriate answer so I said in the UK.
- have I registered with a UK doctor - check
- have I registered for Council Tax - check, well, briefly, then the tenant started to pay it instead.
- am I on the Electoral Roll - check, was sent an invitation to enroll during the first week.
- a question regarding whereabouts of wife and kids - n/a
- do I own property overseas - nope, nothing in my name guv.!
you get the picture!

It seems I am UK resident as far as DWP is concerned hence my state pension has been uprated, I recommend anyone to take the test, it's hardly rocket science!

TV licensing rang me telling me I hadn't had a license for 6 months. I'd just bought one and borrowed a TV from a friend. I told them I'd been out of the country. They asked if I had proof, and I said I had passport stamps. They requested copies, and I requested a SAE. Never got that, and they didn't bother me again. Asking a Yorkshire man to buy a stamp, are they daft?

Of all the officous leaching bodies that exist in the UK I loathe TV licensing the most, I'm very juvenile about it all and now actively look for reasons to do battle with them. It all goes back to last July when I took possession of my flat and saw the stack of threatening letters from them, despite calling them and telling them I don't have a TV and I don't watch live TV they continued to send them. I then recieved a very intimidating appointment card from them, a chappie or chapette was going to visit to inspect my premises, I made sure I was out at the time specified. Another note saying they'd visited and because they couldn't gain entry they would take matters to the next level, bring it on I said. I finally spoke to a supervisor, actually I yelled at him for the best part of ten minutes and felt much better for doing so. Somebody then said I could have a self certification certificate which I duly got but not before they'd wasted god knows how much on letters, postage and visits. They act as though they are a police authority and have a god ordained right to demand things when a simple "no, I don't watch live TV" should be sufficent but apparently isn't. You'd imagine from their attitude that large numbers of Brits are covertly watching TV trying to evade the detection unit hence everyone is potentially guilty, the barstewards!

Chiangmai did the DWP not ask for passport stamps and flight details?

After telling them that you spend six months of the year away they put you back on full pension? They seem to be improving a bit.