Plans for first universal basic income trial in England

If scheme secures funding, participants would receive £1,600 per month and be monitored for two years

universal basic income page with money
Supporters say UBI would simplify the welfare system and reduce poverty
(Image credit: Longtown Media/Alamy Stock Photo)

Thirty people will receive £1,600 per month if England’s first universal basic income trial gets the go-ahead.

Researchers from the independent think tank Autonomy are seeking funding for a two-year pilot programme, said BBC News, “to see how it would change the lives of the group”.

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Harriet Marsden is a writer for The Week, mostly covering UK and global news and politics. Before joining the site, she was a freelance journalist for seven years, specialising in social affairs, gender equality and culture. She worked for The Guardian, The Times and The Independent, and regularly contributed articles to The Sunday Times, The Telegraph, The New Statesman, Tortoise Media and Metro, as well as appearing on BBC Radio London, Times Radio and “Woman’s Hour”. She has a master’s in international journalism from City University, London, and was awarded the "journalist-at-large" fellowship by the Local Trust charity in 2021.