Welsh Government should broaden Universal Basic Income pilot - report
Senedd Committee say including different groups will give more evidence on how scheme could work
Last updated 18th Jan 2022
A report looking at the Welsh Government’s proposed Universal Basic Income (UBI) pilot for care leavers has concluded that more benefits would be derived from a broader trial.
The report was produced by the Senedd Petitions Committee in response to a petition submitted in August 2021 which called for an expansion of the UBI pilot and gained over a thousand signatures.
Universal Basic Income is the idea that a government should pay all individuals a set salary - regardless of their means.
Last year, the Welsh Government indicated its desire to pilot UBI in Wales with that scheme targeting care leavers by giving them an additional sum of money each month.
The Committee concluded that the Welsh Government’s stated plan to trial the idea with 250 care leavers “has merit – improving outcomes for care leavers is an idea that has support across all Members”.
But it concluded that applying a basic income to a broader group would allow policymakers to learn more about the impact of a UBI which proponents believe should apply to all citizens.
The report notes that the proposed sample size of 250 people is small and suggests the Welsh Government expand this group to ensure more robust results and a greater diversity among recipients.
Jack Sargeant MS, the Chair of the Petitions Committee said:
“It’s clear from the evidence presented to us that broadening the pilot could have huge benefits. The Welsh Government should investigate increasing the number of proposed recipients and include care leavers from as diverse as possible a range of backgrounds, locations, and circumstances to give us the evidence we need to properly evaluate this scheme.
“While not all Members of the Committee support UBI, we all believe that a wider pilot scheme has the potential to produce richer, more persuasive evidence for the Welsh Government to consider.
“I would like to extend my thanks to the petitioners whose passion for tackling poverty shone through and should be commended, as well as all those who signed the petition.”