Basic income

Basic Income (others refer to ‘Universal Basic Income’) is a concept that would see individuals being given unconditional payments, of a regular amount and at regular intervals, to enable them to have a basic level of income. Internationally, there have been over 80 pilots, trials and fully implemented basic income schemes, and here in Wales the concept has been piloted for care leavers.

Why could basic income be important to health and well-being?

We know that income and financial wellbeing is a key determinant of health, and providing a basic level of income for populations could help to alleviate poverty and lessen the negative impacts associated with low income. The unconditional nature of basic income could enable and empower individuals to make positive, health-improving choices. Lessons from international examples on how basic income schemes can improve health add to this evidence base.

How has basic income been explored in Wales?

In Wales, in 2021, Public Health Wales published an influential report on basic income and health, highlighting what needed to be considered should a basic income policy be developed in Wales. This report informed the development of Welsh

Government’s Basic Income for Care Leavers in Wales pilot, providing policy-makers with key details about basic income, the lessons from basic income schemes for health and the wider determinants of health, and the important policy considerations necessary for delivering basic income in Wales. Complementing this report was an evidence review released by the Public Health Wales Observatory Evidence Service, ‘Mapping the potential outcomes of basic income policies and how these might be evaluated’, which look at how basic income schemes can be evaluated to measure health outcomes. The evaluation of the Basic Income for Care Leavers in Wales pilot is ongoing and it will take some time to establish any health and well-being related outcomes from this pilot. However, interim findings from evaluation reports published to date Mar 2026) show that young people often reported that receiving basic income eased their anxieties or helped them to better manage their anxieties. They also felt a greater sense of autonomy and control over their finances and the increased choices now available to them. General improvements to mental health and well-being were also noted, with a feeling that recipients could live in the present without worrying about basic needs. Although these are outcomes from a specific, time-limited pilot, it is possible that a broader population may also experience similar positive health and wellbeing outcomes.