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
Special series of publications on UBI in Neoliberal Times
UBI in the Heartlands of Neoliberalism published by openDemocracy Part 1 | Getting on with it UBI in the US ‘not just an idea’ – it’s achievableShafeka Hasash, Economic Security Project 'Hope goes a long way': BI as a lifeline for ex-prisonersKevin Scott, Community...
Can Malaysia Implement Universal Basic Income?
Dr. Sarath Davala, Lee Seng Kiat, Prof. Geoffrey and John Michael, Asia-Pacific Hub Manager for BIEN, have joined a Radio show to discuss 'Can Malaysia implement a UBI' in the show called Beyond the Ballot Box by Journalist Dashran Yohan. To listen to the...
Basic income in crisis? (Hard) lessons from the pandemic
Photo by Anastasiia Chepinska on Unsplash Article by Jurgen De Wispelaere, Joe Chrisp, and Leticia Morales in Global Policy Abstract: This short paper reflects on the key lessons we can learn from the political debate around and policy experimentation with (emergency)...
Income To Support All Foundation Reaches $1.5 Million Fundraising Goal
Washington, DC, October 25, 2024 – The Income To Support All Foundation (ITSA), founded by globally renowned Universal Basic Income (UBI) expert Scott Santens, is proud to announce the successful completion of its $1.5 million fundraising goal for 2024. This milestone...
Basic income as a necessary component of a socio-ecological transformation and key element for climate justice
An International Memorandum "Basic income as a necessary component of a socio-ecological transformation and key element for climate justice" has been signed by BIEN. At its General Assembly in Bath, UK, BIEN decided to sign the International Memorandum "Basic income...
Stalwart of the Basic Income Movement, Buford Farris, Has Died at 98
Buford Farris, a stalwart of the basic income movement, died peacefully at aged 98 in Austin, Texas on October 5, 2024. His work was important in keeping the movement for a basic income guarantee alive during the difficult days in the late twentieth century and in...
The burnout economy: poverty and mental health: Summary report
Social protection schemes should be implemented tothe fullest extent possible, without excessive targeting orconditionalities. Universal basic income schemes should beseriously considered, and pilots carefully evaluated, given theirrole in providing economic security...
Can Universal Basic Income really improve mental health?
Photo: Skorzewiak/shutterstock.comRecent UBI trials reveal that guaranteed income provides immediate mental health relief, but sustaining long-term benefits may depend on lasting economic security. Interest is surging in the idea of a Universal Basic Income (UBI) – a...
New UBI Bath Winter School: Basic Income in the Global South
A universal basic income (UBI) is a periodic cash payment unconditionally delivered to all individuals, without means testing or work requirements. Today, a broad variety of ideas surrounding the topic of UBI circulate globally, leading to debates, suggestions, and...
OpenResearch Unconditional Cash Study: Research Insights and Early Learnings
This two-hour conversation with Dr. Karina Dotson and Dr. Elizabeth Rhodes will see the researchers behind the pioneering OpenResearch Unconditional Basic Income Pilot to present their initial results. This pilot was one of the largest UBI pilots to date and has...
Report on Unconditional Cash Transfers Pilot in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
"Building on previous experience in Uganda, the Belgian organisation Eight World vzw started in October 2021, an Unconditional Cash Transfer (UCT) pilot project in a village in an artisanal mining zone in the territory of Pangi, in Maniema province, in the eastern...
New report on the Ethics of Basic Income Piloting
Increasing calls for reform to welfare provision have seen growing support for basic income (BI) - the unconditional provision of cash transfers to all. As a result, recent years have seen an exponential increase in the number of pilot experiments of BI, across all...