Scott Santens
Editor of Basic Income Today
EDITOR’S PICKS
UBI can help LGBT+ people and it’s on its way
LGBT+ people have so much to contribute to our society—be it in enterprise, the arts or in our politics. But still too many of us are held back by forces well beyond our personal control. By Gareth Lewis Shelton If you’re reading this piece, then you’re probably at least curious about Universal Basic Income (UBI) and its potential to change society. Many of the arguments for and against it are increasingly well rehearsed—giving workers autonomy, ending poverty. But there are some
Latest Articles
The pros and cons of universal basic income
The Other Epidemic: Deaths of Despair
Income Inequality
The Other Epidemic: Deaths of Despair
Anne Case and Angus Deaton provide a compelling account of the problem, but anemic solutions. The epidemic of deaths …
What happens when all the rent comes due?
“An eviction is not a single event in a person’s life. It actually changes the trajectory of a life, …
Opinion: We need to shift from a culture of fear to a culture of care to fight the politics of hatred
The human “fight or flight” response gives demagogues like Trump a tool for political manipulation. But we could replace …
Opinion: The problem is poverty, however we label it
The prefixes ‘food’, ‘child’ or ‘fuel’ make life for 14 million poor Britons seem easily fixable. In truth, radical …
Pilots & Experiments
Santa Clara County Pilot Program Providing UBI to Foster Youth May Be Expanded to All of California
Sen. Dave Cortese proposes statewide basic income pilot; a pilot that includes foster care youth as they leave the …
Durham Council Member Says City Residents Who Were Formerly Incarcerated Should Receive Guaranteed Incomes
Durham’s proposal to experiment with a type of universal basic income is moving forward. By Thomasi McDonald Councilman Mark-Anthony …
New York’s Ulster County to provide $500 a month for one year to 100 families
Ulster County Executive Patrick Ryan, Tuesday, announced major programs aimed at helping families get back on their feet as …
California’s Yolo County Considering Small Basic Income Pilot Funded by Marijuana Revenue
By Anne Ternus-Bellamy Families with young children currently living in deep poverty in Yolo County would receive monthly cash assistance …
The Social Debate
Moderate Democrats Strip Stimulus Checks From 12 Million Voters for No Reason
Opinion by Eric Levitz For weeks, a handful of moderate Democrats in the Senate have been fighting to prevent $1,400 …
Eleven Senate Democrats Urge Biden to Include Recurring Monthly Checks in the Next Recovery Package
Ten senators want to make direct payments and unemployment insurance extensions automatic until the economy recovers. By Kevin Robillard …
Basic income could prevent people from choosing medically-assisted death in response to the downstream effects of poverty
If medically assisted death becomes more accessible for Canadians, we have a moral obligation to make living well — …
Some families could get more than $14,000 in new Covid relief. It’s looking more and more like universal basic income
By Lorie Konish KEY POINTS A new coronavirus relief bill is in the works and it could mean a …
Andrew Yang
Andrew Yang’s ‘People’s Bank’ to Help Distribute Basic Income to Half a Million New Yorkers
“I wake up and I feel privileged that I may have a positive impact on the lives of other …
Martin Luther King III Endorses Andrew Yang for Mayor Because of His Support for UBI
“Andrew’s commitment to a basic income is why I’m endorsing him, and why we’ve worked tirelessly to support Democrats across the …
Cash relief for the poor now: Andrew Yang says he can deliver on Martin Luther King Jr.’s promise
Yang is a Democratic candidate for mayor of New York. King is a civil and human rights advocate. By: Andrew …
Yang’s Rivals in the NYC Mayoral Race Adopt Basic Income Guarantees Into Their Own Platforms
Andrew Yang favors a modified version of universal basic income that would provide payments of about $2,000 to a …
Success Stories
Stockton, California gave some residents $500 a month for two years. After a year, the group wound up with more full-time jobs and less depression
By Aria Bendix In Stockton, California, 125 residents got $500 per month, no strings attached, for two years. After …
Unconditional Cash Program in Chicago Provides Further Evidence in Support of UBI
While enrolled in a universal basic income program, Patricia Jackson had access to a reserve of $3,200 that she …
Universal Basic Income has been a ‘lifesaver’ to families during coronavirus pandemic: California mayor
By: Kristin Myers Universal basic income (UBI) has been a “lifesaver” for households participating in UBI pilot programs, Mayor …
‘It’s our duty’: How giving Canadians a basic income can improve health and reduce costs
‘Poverty is expensive’: Toronto doctor says universal basic income actually costs society less By Kamyar Razavi & Mike Le Couteur Global News One …
The Basics of UBI
UBI can help LGBT+ people and it’s on its way
LGBT+ people have so much to contribute to our society—be it in enterprise, the arts or in our politics. …
The pros and cons of universal basic income
Unconditional cash payments to residents are more of a floor to stand on than a safety net, say these …
Opinion: It’s time to transform our society with a basic income guarantee
The more distant someone is from mainstream culture, the more they need money to address their unique needs in …
UBI’s Lessons for Redesigning Canada’s Social Welfare System
UBI, at its core, is an unconditional cash transfer that guarantees a livable income regardless of work status. This …
Workforce Automation
The workforce is automating faster than expected, displacing 85 million jobs in the next five years
Some jobs will disappear and others will emerge as the world faces a dual disruption The World Economic Forum’s Future …
Half of all work tasks will be handled by machines by 2025 in a shift likely to worsen inequality, a World Economic Forum report has forecast.
Half of all work tasks will be handled by machines by 2025 in a shift likely to worsen inequality, …
Flippy the burger-flipping robot goes on sale
The pandemic accelerates the adoption of automation across industries including the food services businesses. The impact on workers is …
Caterpillar bets on self-driving machines impervious to pandemics
Caterpillar’s automation strategy was not born during the COVID-19 era but the global pandemic is accelerating its rollout. By: …