Topics / Economy and the state
Should the UK introduce a universal basic income?
Should the UK pay every adult a regular, unconditional cash income regardless of their means or whether they work? The debate turns on cost, work incentives, the role of conditions and means-testing, and how far evidence from time-limited pilots predicts the effects of a permanent national scheme.
Positions
- Yes: The UK should pay every adult a regular, unconditional income. This would simplify welfare, remove the poverty traps created by means-testing, and give everyone a secure floor as automation and insecure work change the labour market.
- Targeted support instead: Paying everyone the same amount spreads limited public money across people who do not need it. The same resources would do more good if directed at those in greatest need through a reformed, more generous targeted system.
- No: A universal basic income would weaken the incentive to work and the link between contribution and reward that underpins public support for welfare. Support should stay tied to need and to the expectation that those who can work, or prepare for work, will do so.