THE END OF ABOVE AVERAGE WILL STOKE THE PRESSURE:

Finland was the first country to launch a UBI trial in January 2017. The results of the country's two-year trial were published last Friday. The aim of a basic income - a universal, regular, unconditional flat-rate payment for all citizens - is to underpin economic security and enable personal wellbeing. At first glance, the initial results of the Finnish trial are promising. [...]

The most impressive long term trial, however, is Alaska's permanent dividend fund, where every Alaskan receives an annual unconditional cash payment. Economists at the University of Chicago studied the fund and found that the policy, which has been in place for almost forty years, has not reduced employment overall, and has increased part time employment as cash is recycled back into the Alaskan economy. It's unsurprising that Alaska's permanent universal divided fund had no adverse impact on work. The universal support of the NHS, for instance, has hardly frayed the UK's work ethic.

Four years of trials in Canada in the 1970s showed very positive impacts on health and education. The Canadian trials suggested that young men remained in education for longer, and young mothers were more likely to take a longer period of maternity leave. A Basic Income experiment among Cherokee Indians in North Carolina had similar positive effects.

Last week's data from the Finnish trials reveals a similar pattern. There was no detrimental impact on employment during the first year of the UBI trial. There were positive impacts on health and wellbeing, including on mental health. Levels of trust amongst basic income recipients improved - in others and in Government - and participants became more confident about their future work opportunities. 

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