Universal Basic Income - Can it work?
Money Box
BBC
4.2 • 825 Ratings
🗓️ 6 February 2019
⏱️ 37 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
How would you like to receive a set income from the state without conditions?
It's an idea which is gaining world wide attention with pilot schemes in Finland, Canada and Spain to name a few. In Scotland ministers have awarded funding to four local authorities to undertake feasibility studies with a view to holding a pilot.
Adam Shaw and a guest panel discuss the theory behind the idea and examine how if it could ever work in practice.
How have the trials worked in different countries? Is a universal basic income a useful way of thinking about wealth redistribution or is it just an unaffordable utopian dream?
From 1pm Wednesday 6th February you can call us on 03 700 100 444 or email us at any time: moneybbc@bbc.co.uk.
Joining Adam on the panel: Jamie Cooke, Head of Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce Scotland Dr Louise Haagh, author of The Case for Universal Basic Income and a Reader in Politics at the University of York Dr Luke Martinelli, the main researcher on the Institute for Policy Research’s basic income research project at Bath University
Producer: Linda Walker Presenter: Adam Shaw Editor: Jasper Corbett
Transcript
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| 0:45.4 | Welcome to the download of Moneybox Live, the programme about your money. |
| 0:48.6 | And today, it's all about free money. |
| 0:50.7 | Many thanks, hello. |
| 0:55.4 | In today's programme, we're discussing the idea of free money and the suggestion that we should all get it in return for doing, well, absolutely nothing. Sounds good, doesn't it? |
| 1:00.7 | It's a concept called universal basic income, and on the face of it, it may sound completely |
| 1:06.0 | potty. After all, how can a society go around distributing money to everyone? |
| 1:13.7 | Well, a pilot scheme in Finland has just finished, |
| 1:16.5 | which has tried to see how it would work in practice. |
| 1:21.3 | As part of the scheme, 2,000 unemployed people got about £490 a month. |
| 1:25.2 | Similar trials have taken place in at least 16 or so other countries, |
| 1:30.1 | and lots of serious-minded people thinks it's a good idea to try here in the UK, |
| 1:34.1 | although it's got to be said lots of other serious-minded people don't like it at all. |
| 1:40.5 | Well, in today's programme, we'll be hearing from some who have taken part in the pilot programmes from around the world and experts on both sides of the It's a Great Idea and It's Barmy divide. |
| 1:46.9 | But first, thousands of pages have been written on how the schemes could work, |
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