Social Europe
Interest is surging in the idea of a Universal Basic Income (UBI) – a regular income paid by the government to each adult member of society, regardless of their personal or financial circumstances. But can it achieve its stated goals of reducing poverty, improving working conditions and increasing well-being? Thanks to a global flurry of pilot programmes putting these claims to the test, answers to this question are starting to trickle in.
In 2020, 1,000 low-income individuals in the US states of Texas and Illinois began receiving $1,000 per month for three years as part of America’s largest-ever study on UBI. No conditions were attached – participants could use the money as they wished. The results of this large-scale and meticulously conducted randomised control trial offer a fascinating insight into how people might spend their time and money if they were guaranteed a no-strings basic income.
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