- Periodic: Payments are made at regular intervals, such as monthly or annually, rather than being one-time payments.
- Cash: Payments are made in cash, allowing recipients to choose how they use the money.
- Universal: The entire adult population of a community receives payments.
- Individual: Payments are made to individuals, not to families or households.
- Unconditional: The income doesn’t require recipients to work, apply for jobs, or demonstrate financial need.
Various universal basic income programs have been tested in the U.S. and throughout the globe. The world’s largest UBI experiment is currently taking place in Kenya, where 5,000 people in rural villages are receiving an extra $22 a day over a 12-year period. So far, researchers say, recipients have been more likely to receive medical care or start a business and less likely to go hungry.
Many smaller experiments have been conducted or are currently underway in the U.S. For example, the Stockton Economic Empowerment Demonstration gave $500 a month for 24 months to 125 residents of Stockton, Calif. The Baltimore Young Families Success Fund is a pilot program that’s providing 200 parents between the ages of 18 and 24 with $1,000 per month over 24 months.
