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]

Recent News, Opinion, and Research
ONTARIO, CANADA: Minister of Housing optimistic about BIG pilot
Chris Ballard, Minister of Housing and Minister Responsible for the Poverty Reduction Strategy, expresses optimism about the basic income pilot, and speaks about how the changing nature of work creates a need for new social policies.
Citi Bank’s chief economist pushes for basic income
Willem Buiter, chief economist at Citigroup Inc, has written in support of a basic income guarantee as a way to assist workers who are “left behind by technological advances”. He reaffirmed this position at Citi’s annual summit, where he participated in a panel about global political risks.
GERMANY: Major non-profit research organization hosts basic income debate
On December 1, 2016, the Volkswagen Foundation (VolkswagenStiftung) hosted a panel discussion on unconditional basic income in Hanover, Germany.
Let’s eliminate negative basic incomes
A negative basic income would be one where a periodic cash payment is unconditionally demanded from all on an individual basis, without means-test or work requirement. This is nothing but a payment for existence.
Finland’s Basic Income Experiment – 2017
Finland’s Ministry of Social Affairs and Health has issued its latest and apparently final press release outlining its long awaited Basic Income pilot project slated to begin Jan 1st, 2017. Near the end of the first year the project will be assessed for the...
GERMANY: How MP’s proposed “family pact” differs from UBI
Sylvia Pantel’s proposed “family pact”, an unconditional cash transfer for parents, has some similarities with basic income. Pantel herself, however, insists that the transfers be viewed as payment for a service.
US: Raising the Floor on Wall Street Journal’s “Who Read What” in 2016
Raising the Floor, the new work on basic income by former SEIU President Andy Stern, has made the Wall Street Journal’s list of top books from 2016.
FINLAND: Basic Income experiment authorized by Parliament
Kela, the Social Insurance Institution of Finland, announced on December 14 that the Finnish Parliament has passed the act authorizing an experiment on basic income. The experiment is set to begin on January 1, 2017.
Yanis Varoufakis, “The Universal Right to Capital Income” (Oct 31) Project Syndicate
In the Online Project Syndicate economist, academic and former Greek finance Minister, Yanis Varoufakis, succinctly analyses the pros and cons of a Basic Income and cuts right to the heart of the issue, how to fund it! Taxation is too controversial...
UK: Public Service Union Calls for Basic Income “Micro-Pilot”
UNISON, a major public service employee union, has released a 20-point manifesto, calling on candidates in the West Midlands mayoral election to declare which of the 20 “asks” — including one for a UBI pilot — they would implement if elected.
Nimai Mehta, “A universal basic income to step up economic reform”
Nimai Mehta maintains that UBI should not be seen only–or even primarily–as a way to make India’s welfare system more efficient, but should instead be seen as a way to drive other anti-poverty reforms.
NEW ZEALAND: Gareth Morgan’s new political party puts off UBI to “phase two”
Gareth Morgan, who supports universal basic income as part of his “Big Kahuna” plan for New Zealand, has launched a new political party. However, UBI is not on the table as an immediate reform.