Reports, insights and analysis of Basic Income, its policy implications and its potential benefits.
Basic Income Network Scotland: Review of Citizens’ Basic Income Feasibility Study
The Scottish Government recently funded a two-year feasibility study to examine the options for piloting a basic income in Scotland. The Citizens’ Basic Income Feasibility Study Steering Group completed their work in June 2020, and submitted reports on possible basic income pilots in Scotland and how these might be evaluated, along with complementary studies modelling the possible economic impacts of a basic income on Scotland and potential interactions between a CBI pilot and the current social security arrangements. The Steering Group recommended that a Scottish pilot should go ahead, although this is not currently possible under the terms of the devolution settlement
This Basic Income Network Scotland paper offers a commentary on elements of these publications recording some thoughts and challenges to us all in how a basic income scheme might be introduced, assessed and impact on the economy and society. We hope this is appreciated in the spirit in which it is written as progressing the analytical framework and understanding of this potential instrument for significant change. We wish to thank the three contributors to this paper: Dr Marcia Gibson, Professor Mike Danson and Annie Miller. We welcome all feedback, comments and criticisms.
Read and download the report here
Exploring Basic Income in Scotland
Exploring Basic Income in Scotland was a cross disciplinary project funded by the Scottish Universities Insight Institute and led by Citizen’s Basic Income Network Scotland, Heriot-Watt University and University of Edinburgh.
The full report looks at the intersection of Basic Income with employment & entrepreneurship, care, housing, human rights & equality and the modelling, implementation and evaluation of a Basic Income in the Scottish context – you can also consider each issue based section separately.
- Exploring Basic Income in Scotland Full Report
- Exploring Basic Income in Scotland – Overview
- Exploring Basic Income in Scotland – Employment and Entrepreneurship
- Exploring Basic Income in Scotland – Care
- Exploring Basic Income in Scotland – Housing
- Exploring Basic Income in Scotland – Human Rights and Equality
- Exploring Basic Income in Scotland – Modelling, Implementation and Evaluation
- Exploring Basic Income in Scotland – Some reservations about basic income by Paul Spicker
Updates from Basic Income Scotland
Basic Income Scotland communicate the updates from the feasibility study, a Scottish Government funded project looking at the feasibility of implementing a Basic Income experiment. The work is led by Fife Council, City of Edinburgh Council, Glasgow City Council and North Ayrshire Council.
- November 2019 Feasibility Study Update Report – this includes information on the proposed experimental model
- March 2019 Feasibility Study Update Report
- Exploring the Practicalities of a Basic Income Pilot
A Basic Income for Scotland
In this report The RSA explore how Scotland can move towards a Basic Income by examining at how effective, desirable, and feasible a basic income could be. Their findings are based on working with communities in Fife and modelling the economic impact of a Basic Income.
Basic Income As Common Dividends: Piloting A Transformative Policy by Guy Standing
This report, published by the Progressive Economic Forum and written by Guy Standing, was presented to the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer John McDonnell as the Labour Party are considering including piloting a Basic Income in their next manifesto.
Universal basic income – A scoping review of evidence on impacts and study characteristics
This report published by What Works Scotland was prepared by CBINS Trustee Marcia Gibson, Wendy Hearty and Peter Craig. It is the first comprehensive scoping review of 28 studies of ten interventions which unconditionally provided substantial cash transfers to individuals or families. These interventions can be studied to extrapolate evidence for the potential impact of a Basic Income.
Exploring the Social Security Implications of a Citizens’ Basic Income Pilot
This report prepared by Jon Shaw and Judith Paterson on behalf the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) was commissioned by the Basic Income steering group as part of the feasibility study. The Basic Income feasibility study Project Manager Wendy Hearty explained: “As part of a package of work commissioned by the Steering Group, CPAG were asked to look at the powers that could be used to pilot basic income in Scotland and the implications of this choice on social security entitlements. The resulting report considers options and consequences for those taking part in a pilot if current social security entitlements were to change within a pilot.”