Surviving, not thriving [Update]

England is to trial Universal Basic Income (UBI) in a 2 year pilot programme. Jarrow, South Tyneside and East Finchley, North London, have been selected for a micro pilot, with thirty people selected to receive the payment of £1,600 a month. Participants paid UBI will be monitored to see what effect it has on their lives, their physical and mental health, and whether they choose to work. A further control group will not receive UBI. but their experience also monitored over the same two year programme. Whilst this is not UBI for creatives that Ireland has begun, as I have previously written about, (Oct 2022, June 2021, July 2019), it is an interesting step towards that possibility.  

This news comes days after research by Dr Heidi Ashton of the University of Warwick, commissioned by the creative’s union Equity, shows that the Minimum Income Floor (MIF) penalises the self employed, including creative workers, who claim Universal Credit. it recommends MIF be abandoned and the re-evaluation of the Universal Credit system. This article in The Guardian highlights the hardships being faced by some creatives on Universal Credit. 

As a 2 year programme, it will be some time before the results are known. However, it will be interesting to see the effects of the payment UBI and mental health given the UK is currently in a mental health crisis. In addition, given the debate regarding whether UBI encourages people not to work, if those receiving UBI choose to work, and what changes UBI make to the way they live their lives.