Senate Square in Helsinki. The Finnish government is hoping to see whether a universal wage will encourage people into work by helping them to avoid the “benefits trap”

A pay cheque arrives every month for 2,000 unemployed Finns whether they decide to work or spend their days on the sofa.

At the start of the year Finland became the first country in Europe to pay an unconditional basic income in an experiment to see how it affected the lives of the recipients and whether the country could afford it.

With unemployment at 9 per cent — about 237,000 people — and the number of unfilled job vacancies at its highest since 2007, the centre-right government wanted to see whether a universal wage encouraged people into work by helping them to avoid the “benefits trap”. With Finland’s generous welfare payments, many chose not to take part-time work for fear of losing handouts.

Supporters of