UBI of £1600 to be trialled in England

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/jun/04/universal-basic-income-of-1600-pounds-a-month-to-be-trialled-in-england

Why do they need to study this over and over? Isn't it obvious what not having to stress about money will do for anyone's mental health?

#Leaf, whilst I see the benefits of the UBI. From the article it seems only 30x participants. And what after the 2yrs, a big gap in the CV? It would interesting to hear from the participants in the Finish experience with the UBI.

"Thirty people will be paid a lump sum without conditions each month for two years and will be observed to understand the effects on their lives."

'Observed' sounds like they are turning it into a tv show, like 'Benefits Street'...



https://www.theguardian.com/inequality/2018/jan/12/money-for-nothing-is-finlands-universal-basic-income-trial-too-good-to-be-true

https://time.com/5252049/finland-to-end-universal-basic-income/

The final results from Finland’s experiment are now in, and the findings are intriguing: the basic income in Finland led to a small increase in employment, significantly boosted multiple measures of the recipients’ well-being, and reinforced positive individual and societal feedback loops.

https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/public-and-social-sector/our-insights/an-experiment-to-inform-universal-basic-income

As you say, people are going to behave differently to a 2 yr study than they would if it was permanent. Unless they're going to pay those people for the rest of their lives I don't see what else they're going to learn. Seems like virtue signalling.

Is the money in the English scheme intended to cover housing costs in addition to living costs? Can see greedy landlords trying to get their fingers in the pie if that's the case.

There is a trial of UBI involving care leavers in Wales as well.

Finland is interesting, but as they are a less individualistic society than us lot, I do wonder how much of it is applicable here. As you say Pintel, a whiff of virtue signalling about it.

Ignatius wrote: As you say Pintel, a whiff of virtue signalling about it.

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Much as I would like to take credit for 'Seems like virtue signalling.' it was #Leaf...

As mentioned, the pessimistic area of my brain, would like to see the small-print of the English UBI.
As you could see this initiative, being set up to fail? So the UBI is thrown on the scrapheap?????






#Ignatius "Finland is interesting, but as they are a less individualistic society than us lot, I do wonder how much of it is applicable here.".

I agree there might need to be individual adjustments for each country. But the basic premise seems sound to me....

My world weary brain also thinks that in a country where people are supposed to be grateful for minimal hours on minimal wages, a UBI would never be allowed to happen. The entire economic/political ethos of the country would need to change. But then, if the future is robots and AI, how will people survive? How can you give people on UC a good kicking when the jobs really aren't there anymore?

Reminds me of the Fyodor Dostoevsky quote:

"If one wanted to crush and destroy a man entirely, to mete out to him the most terrible punishment, all one would have to do would be to make him do work that was completely and utterly devoid of usefulness and meaning."

Fyodor Dostoevsky


https://www.azquotes.com/quote/567779

We will all be on UBI when the robots take over. Even burger flipping is going automated.

Unfortunately, UBI is one of those basic rights that will need to be imposed upon the ruling elites.
Just as any other rights acquired in the past, it'll be a product of the right socio-economic conditions (enough redistribution of existing wealth) and the overcoming of the resistance from those benefiting of the existing inequalities, the 1% top earners, for example, that would see a temporary decrease of their disproportionate share of the total economic value of a nation.
I say "temporary" because UBI, when properly implemented, create a boost to theentire economy.
Poverty, like preventable diseases, are very taxing and detrimental to the entire health of a society.
UBI create its own wealth, but it will be an hard struggle, comparable to the historical acquisition of any other human rights.
Humanity is what it is, alas...

I think they should give options to all 60+ age group to retire on full SP or option of a UBI so they can begin to functionlike normal human beings again without te likes of DWP breathing down their necks. Be cheaper than the way they have constantly try to administer the system asting absolute billions on these poxy work programmes. But Oh NO!, work until your nearly dead even for the 100s of thousands who cant find it, and many ultimately ...wont. Its not just the disabled who will find this whole process of cant find work. They have achieved massive instability, low wage, very cheap labour with millions of numpty jobs. Always said, an economy cannot be run on the backs of the poor and coffee shops.But here we are.......