UBI Trial to start in England

A think-tank, Autonomy, is trialling a Universal Basic Income, with 30 people getting £1,600 a month for two years, and being followed by researchers. The scheme is going to cost £1.15 million with an extra £500,000 for the research team. It will be interesting to see how the scheme works but if it were rolled out nationally it would costs over £1 trillion, and critics suggest it will do little to eradicate poverty.

In this revision video we look at the concept of a universal basic income. What is a universal basic income? Which countries and regions are trialing it at the moment? What are some of the main advantages of this policy idea and what are some of the potential drawbacks? Could a universal basic income be an innovative approach in the face of technology-driven unemployment?