A Basic Income is a periodic cash payment unconditionally delivered to all on an individual basis, without means-test or work requirement.
The Royal Society of Arts Explains: [2 minutes]
BIEN Congresses
The 24th BIEN CONGRESS in Maricá & Niterói – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – 27-29 August 2025
Linkedin, Instagram, X – biencongress25 (at) gmail [dot] com
BIEN2024 was August 29–31 (Pictures and more coming soon)
Recent News, Opinion, and Research
Launch of Indian Basic Income Coalition (iBIC)
"While India is a rich site of several Basic Income Pilots held by Research and Governmental agencies, there is a recent uptrend in the number of cash-based social policies in several states, especially with evidence that shows a marked increase in several indicators...
Universal Basic Income: The Truth Explained by a Top Expert
As a leading expert on the topic of unconditional/universal basic income (UBI), a subject area I've been focused on now since 2013, I'm constantly trying to correct the same misunderstandings and incessantly debunking misinformation/disinformation spread about the...
How Basic Income Can Support Climate Tech Solutions
The evolution of climate action has reflected the need for affordable options. Universal basic income (UBI) has the unique opportunity to empower everyone to change the world. The warming environment necessitates rapid development and deployment of climate...
Open Forum on Feminist Definitions of Basic Income, April 25
Open forum on feminist definitions of basic income co-organised by FRIBIS UBI and Gender team (FRIBIS-UBIG) and by BIEN working group for Clarification of BI definition (BIEN-CBID) 7.30am Eastern Daylight Time (North America) / 12.30pm British Summer Time / 1.30pm...
Somerville Massachusetts Mayor Ballantyne announces guaranteed basic income pilot program
Note: This pilot program's recipients are means-tested so the program does not meet BIEN's definition of basic income. "Mayor Katjana Ballantyne joins more than 100 mayors from across the country as part of Mayors for a Guaranteed Income (MGI), a coalition of mayors...
New UBI PhD Network
Hi All, We are an international group of PhD students interested in questions surrounding basic income. And we are very happy to announce a new initiative: the UBI PhD Network. Our goal is to connect young researchers working on UBI (and closely related topics)...
Ramaphosa promises Basic Income Grant for South Africa is coming
Editor's note: What is discussed here does not meet the BIEN definition of basic income since it is targeted The ANC has again promised to introduce a permanent Basic Income Grant (BIG); however, the party has not committed to any timeline. The proposal was again put...
Places across the U.S. are testing no-strings cash as part of the social safety net
by Jennifer Ludden Photo by Frugal Flyer on Unsplash Christopher Santiago recalls being skeptical the first time he heard about basic income — giving people cash with no conditions on how to spend it. It was 2020, when presidential candidate Andrew Yang pitched it for...
BIEN 2024 Congress: Call for Papers
"BIEN 2024 is focused on basic income’s potential as a tool for social transformation towards an economically just, politically inclusive and ecologically sustainable world. The Congress theme is thus about constructing a transformative vision of society – built on...
New book on UBI by Karl Widerquist
The growing movement for universal basic income (UBI) has been gaining attention from politics and the media with the audacious idea of a regular, unconditional cash grant for everyone as a right of citizenship. This volume in the Essential Knowledge series from MIT...
Convocatoria abierta: 1er Congreso Latinoamericano de Renta Básica Universal Incondicional
Entre los días 17 y 19 de julio, en San José de Costa Rica, se llevará a cabo el primer Congreso Latinoamericano de Renta Básica Universal Incondicional. Se recibirán ponencias hasta el 12 de abril. El formato será híbrido, con modalidad presencial y también online....
Bath UBI Beacon and India Basic Income Network Session, 21st March 4-6pm (Paris)
"For this session, we will be in discussion with Vibhor Mathur. Vibhor is a Doctoral Researcher at the University of Bath and is a UK and Research Associate at University of Cardiff, UK. Vibhor studies the transformative potential of basic income through pilots and...