UK to experiment with universal basic income

In England, as part of the experiment, the introduction of an unconditional basic income (UBI) will be tested for the first time. Participants in the experiment will be paid £1,600 a month for two years, no strings attached.

The initiator of the program is an analytical center Autonomy, will select 30 people living in Jarrow in the north-east of England and in the district of East Finchley in north London. There will be no conditions for the use of these funds or any other requirements for the participants in the experiment. Within two years they have every right not to work if they do not have such a desire. But even if they work and receive a significant salary, they will continue to receive £1,600 monthly into their bank account. Participants will be monitored by Autonomy experts to assess the impact of UBI on their lives.

As director of research programs at Autonomy Will Strong notes, the amount of £1,600 is “very significant”. “The BBI usually covers the basic needs of people, but we want to see what effect such a large amount, given out without any conditions, will have on the mental and physical health of people, whether they want to work at the same time or not,” he explained. According to Autonomy experts, “in the coming years, society will still need some form of UBI, given climate change, technological failures and industrial restructuring.” Therefore, they believe, it is necessary to prepare for this now and to understand the effectiveness of this measure.

Similar UBI programs have been carried out over the past decades in different cities, regions or countries of the world, including Russia, Germany, India, Canada, the USA, Kenya and many others. A similar program is currently underway in Wales, where participants receive the same £1,600 a month.

Alena Miklashevskaya