A universal basic income (UBI) scheme has officially been proposed for Greater Manchester. Mayor Andy Burnham suggested that he wanted to introduce UBI to the region if he got re-elected last year (ICYMI: he did) and now experts have sent him a plan that would help do just that.
Put together by UBI Lab Network and Northumbria University, the pilot would run for two years and involve participants all receiving £1,600 a month, no strings attached. Experts say it could help ‘end absolute poverty’ in the region and, to start with, want to offer it to people experiencing homelessness.
The cost of the scheme would be £7.68m for 200 recipients or £3.84m for 100 recipients. People behind the proposal suggest that funds could be raised through a combination of central government support, public donations, reallocated service funding from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and support from philanthropic organisations.
Alison Hawdale, co-founder of UBI Lab Manchester, told the Big Issue: ‘Greater Manchester is a proud and dynamic part of the world, and for hundreds of years its famously creative citizens have shown themselves to be resilient, resourceful and forward-thinking.
‘But we have chronic problems around poverty, homelessness, mental health and crime which have not gone away, despite decades of action from local and national government, community groups and business. It’s time to try something new.’
The pilot was submitted to Andy Burnham on February 10 but is yet to get the green light. Another two year basic income trial with around 500 care leavers ends in Wales this year. Two more micro-pilots are currently going on in East Finchley in London and Jarrow in the north-east of England.
Did you see that 200 UK companies just signed up for a permanent four-day working week?
Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out UK newsletter for the latest UK news and the best stuff happening across the country.