How a universal basic income can address the crisis in anxiety and depression (interim report)

New research from the RSA in partnership with a multidisciplinary team led by Matthew Johnson, Professor in Politics at Northumbria University, explores the possible benefits of a universal basic income in the UK.

In the context of the basic income trial in Wales, which will see care leavers receive £1,600 per month, we identify the potential wellbeing impacts of a more universal trial and the financial implications of the policy.

In 2021, the RSA held workshops with young people to understand more about their financial lives, and what impact a UBI might have on their wellbeing. We found that:

• The current system does not work for young people and they face a trade-off between work, study and leisure.
• Young people realise how important education is to their future, but their efforts are being undermined by a lack of necessary financial security.
• Young people support UBI in general and tend to believe a UBI should be paid on top of some existing benefits.

The RSA’s workshops are supported by economic analysis from Landman Economics which finds that a UBI is affordable and has potential as a preventative health strategy. Further, new polling reveals high public support for a UBI, suggesting there is appetite to explore the policy beyond the current trial in Wales.

This report is supported by a foreword from Rt Hon Mark Drakeford, First Minister of Wales, who shares that in Wales the basic income trial will:

Read our summary report below.

Download the report (PDF, 1.5 MB)

The full findings will be published in Autumn 2022. In the meantime, visit our UBI project page