Universal basic income and universal basic services: what have we learned and what’s next?

Over the past years, Universal Basic Income (UBI) has increasingly been discussed in countries across the world. India’s 2019 elections featured UBI in a prominent way; a presidential candidate in the United States 2020 elections has made UBI a core platform of his campaign; a decade-long trial is underway in rural Kenya; and since 2010, an average of a book per month is published on the topic. While such policy research and practice are yielding important lessons and learning, UBI is also subject to a growing volume of critical challenge, notably from advocates of expanding collective services, Universal Basic Services (UBS). This webinar brings together researchers and practitioners to discuss whether and how UBI and UBS address growing demands for more inclusive social contracts that include universal social protection at their centre, taking into account country settings (such as South Africa and the UK), select policy trade-offs (such as transfers versus services; guaranteed income versus guaranteed jobs), and practical implications for implementation, including financial and delivery considerations. Based on recent publications and operational experience, panellists debate these issues.