Hull has set its sights on becoming the first city in the UK to trial UBI (Universal Basic Income) after a proposal was backed by a group of councillors.
Proposals for the scheme are currently being considered, and if approved would mean that every adult who lives in the area would receive free cash – regardless of the situation. The payment would vary between £50 and £100 a week, and would aim to move towards a community where welfare isn’t required.
While UBI could replace Universal Credit, people with disability benefits would be given an equal payment, and pensioners would also receive higher payments.
Liberal democrat councillor Paul Drake-Davis told the Yorkshire Post earlier this week:
“We live in a world of increasing job insecurity, where more and more people in Hull and across the UK are struggling to plan and build a better future for themselves and their families,”
“Instead, people are just focused on surviving month-to-month. There needs to be a change to the system.”
Hull City Council chief exec Matt Jukes is set to write to Chancellor Sajid Javid to formally request a trial of the scheme.
In March last year, think tank Compass revealed that they’d calculated child poverty could be reduced by a third if everyone in the UK was paid UBI.
Other cities to request the roll out of UBI are Liverpool and Sheffield.
[Featured image: Unsplash]
