We want to give everyone in Britain 400 a month no strings attached – Open Democracy

The end of the 20 uplift to Universal Credit this week represents the biggest overnight cut to the basic rate of social security since the Second World War at a time when the effects of the pandemic are still being felt.

This, combined with the end of the furlough scheme, will plunge millions of families into poverty over the next few months. Politicians, activists and civil society leaders agree there is still an urgent need to provide economic support that protects everybody.

Welcome as the furlough scheme and the uplift to Universal Credit were, their targeted design meant that many fell through the cracks, and the government spent much of last summer rushing through loans, grants and add-on schemes to catch those who didn't qualify for one reason or another.

A crisis that affects everyone needs a response that protects everyone.

That's why, at the UBI Lab Network, we're proposing that the government put in place what we call a Resilience Universal Basic Income (UBI). This is a new and fully costed proposal that we're proud to launch today in openDemocracy.

We want to give every working-age adult (16-64) resident in the UK 400 a month for a year no strings attached.

We also want to give all children and pensioners 200 a month. This would be without any changes to existing benefits or the State Pension.

Unlike the small mountain of paperwork generated by the furlough scheme and Universal Credit, receiving the payments (which we're calling a COVID Dividend) would be straightforward. All you would have to do is show that you're a permanent resident of the UK to claim your money. Everyone would receive the COVID Dividend, regardless of income, wealth or work.

The Resilience UBI would initially last for a year, but it could be extended depending on the circumstances of the pandemic. In our full proposal paper, we've also outlined how it could be transitioned into a permanent Universal Basic Income for everyone.

Our Resilience UBI would guarantee economic security for every household in the UK, and would give citizens the crucial spending power needed to revive our struggling communities and high streets. It would build up resilience, both in individual households and the economy as a whole, to protect against future shocks like COVID.

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We want to give everyone in Britain 400 a month no strings attached - Open Democracy