A Basic Income is a periodic cash payment unconditionally delivered to all on an individual basis, without means-test or work requirement.

UBIdata: Data for Basic Income Research and Policy

At its most recent congress, BIEN launched UBIdata, an innovative new tool with a mission to match reliable information about basic income with a rapidly growing global user base of individuals and organisations eager to learn more. UBIdata gathers, processes and...

Rentier Capitalism, the Precariat and Basic Income for China

Throughout history, capitalism has evolved, changing character and changing the class structure defining each era. The changes in the 20th century can be understood by reference to what Karl Polanyi called the Great Transformation. Briefly, in his formulation, in the 19th century, mainly in Britain, there was an initial period in the evolution of industrial capitalism that was dominated by financial capital, in which old systems of distribution, regulation and social protection were dismantled, in what we would call the pursuit of a ‘free market economy’. 

Taiwan Makes History with Universal Cash Payment Plan

Taiwan is making history by sending out a one-time universal cash payment of $6,000 New Taiwan dollars (NTD) to every citizen “young and old.” This is the first time the country has implemented such a policy, and it comes as a result of excess tax revenue of $450...

Join Hands & Hearts With BIEN

A convergence of various circumstances in the 21st century has made a Basic Income policyan achievable goal. Discussions and policy debates about Basic Income are taking place in countries across the world. We see this as an incredible opportunity for BIEN to...

This South Korean Presidential Election is Vital

There are rare moments when a combination of threatening circumstances leads to a wonderful transformation that only a short time before would have been unimaginable. This year may be such a moment. The Republic of Korea could set an example to the world that would...

The Royal Society of Arts Explains: [2 minutes]

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BIEN Congresses

The 24th BIEN CONGRESS in Maricá & Niterói – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – 27-29 August 2025

Call for Papers

Linkedin, Instagram, X  – biencongress25 (at) gmail [dot] com

BIEN2024 was August 29–31 (Pictures and more coming soon)


Basic Income

A Basic Income is a periodic cash payment unconditionally delivered to all on an individual basis, without means-test or work requirement. Read more


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Recent News, Opinion, and Research

AUDIO: Basic Income – An idea whose time has come?

AUDIO: Basic Income – An idea whose time has come?

Photo: Nick Pearce. Credit to: Bristol Festival of Ideas. In this audio recording of a conversation, in front of a live audience at the Bristol Festival of Ideas on the 17th of November, 2016, Louise Haagh, Anthony Painter, Nick Pearce and Torsten Bell discuss the...

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Work, meaning, and the basic income

Work, meaning, and the basic income

Less work would result in more social isolation, as well as less purpose and meaning in people’s lives. However, many people don’t work for social connections — they work for money. And they may be able to find more connections, meaning, and purpose spending less time at work.

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Scott Santens, “Why we should all have a basic income”

The World Economic Forum has published an article on unconditional basic income (UBI) by prominent advocate Scott Santens as part of its 2017 Annual Meeting, commonly referred to by its location, Davos. Santens’ article explains the concept of UBI for newcomers and...

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December 2016 Sam Altman interview in Business Insider

December 2016 Sam Altman interview in Business Insider

Credit to Business Insider According to Chris Weller from Business Insider, Sam Altman, President of Y Combinator (the largest startup accelerator in Silicon Valley), recently voiced some of his doubts regarding people replacing their current work with other...

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Comments on Jacobin’s “The UBI Bait and Switch”

"The UBI Bait and Switch" by Bruenig, Jauhiainen, and Mäkinen: A Critical Response By Otto Lehto, political economist, King's College London; former chairman of BIEN Finland (2015-2016). A recent article in Jacobin Magazine on the Finnish UBI experiment is mostly an...

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Funding basic income through data mining

Funding basic income through data mining

Corporations are mining nearly every piece of online data that we as individuals produce and then selling it to the highest bidders. We as individuals should be compensated for our data in the same way that corporations are compensated for their data.

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