The Australian Basic Income Lab (ABI) is a research collaboration between the University of Sydney, Australian National University and Macquarie University.
Joined August 2021
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Australian Basic Income Lab retweeted
Coming soon!
After years of work, I submitted my book on the #history of #cashtransfers to my editor.
The volume documents 2500 years of practices worldwide and explores how past experiences still influence today's debates.
Hope it will be of interest and stay tuned for news!
Australian Basic Income Lab retweeted
"To understand why in-kind food persists at such scale, we need to recognize the different perspectives at play." @Ugentilini brookings.edu/articles/why-d… #benefits #socialprotection
Australian Basic Income Lab retweeted
Early results are out!
2 years into its 12-yr duration, a #UBI for 5k ppl in #Kenya ($0.75/day):
- doesn't reduce labor supply
- spurs entrepreneurship
- reduced depression
- supply chains increased to meet local demand
Banerjee @PaulFNiehaus et al
conference.nber.org/conf_pap…
Australian Basic Income Lab retweeted
Cash as medicine?
“If understood as one piece of a renewed public system for ensuring the wellbeing of US residents, [#basicincome] could be an essential step in addressing profound inequality & deteriorating trust in government & public health”
Reinhart
nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NE…
Australian Basic Income Lab retweeted
In #SouthAfrica, #cashtransfers (CSG) reduce child mortality… but when coverage is over 80% (Buddha et al
sciencedirect.com/science/ar…)
In #Finland, a #basicincome pilot dropped fertility among recipient women & rose it when the spouse got cash (Simanainen su.figshare.com/articles/pre…)
Australian Basic Income Lab retweeted
Privilege to guest edit this open access Special Issue of @ISSACOMM on Emergency Basic Income with Jurgen De Wispelaere #UBI #BasicIncome onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/…
Australian Basic Income Lab retweeted
Very happy my article on decentring paid work in relation to the ethics of #BasicIncome for @bspiesbutcher and Fabian Cannizzo's Special Issue on Work and Basic income in @JSociology is now online #UBI journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.…
Australian Basic Income Lab retweeted
Our special issue on #BasicIncome with the @JSociology is now complete and out in the world. With important contributions from @Zoettes @laurenkatekelly @TroyCHenderson @elisejklein @SusanMaury @andrew_c4000 @rpatulny @joe_chrisp Jurgen de Wispelaere @fabiancann
A 🧵
Australian Basic Income Lab retweeted
This is simply an extraordinary study. Researchers gave $7,500 (CAD) to homeless people in Vancouver. The result? The program *saved* money. It helped many of them to move into housing faster, which saved the shelter system $8,277 per person. 🧵👇
Australian Basic Income Lab retweeted
👏 @LibbySchaaf is right: there's nothing radical about lifting people out of poverty. It's what needs to be done, especially with child poverty on the rise while incomes go down.
#GuaranteedIncomeWorks
Australian Basic Income Lab retweeted
A #BasicIncome pilot program in Delaware that has provided $1000/mo to pregnant mothers for two years to support a healthy birth outcome and postpartum period is nearing its end and has apparently been a phenomenal success.
Of the 40 women participating, 89% were able to receive prenatal care, and 81% of their babies had no birth complications. Officials estimate that the spending so far has a 324% return on investment.
In addition to the 324% ROI demonstrated thus far, the program has also led to $229,520 saved in reduced hospital stays and $21,600 saved in reduced Emergency Department visits.
Here's what one of the participants had to say: "I've learned that since I have two separate villages, my own and this one, I can't fall. Because I have someone to rely on."
Here's what one of the program's officials had to say: "We've demonstrated not only that there's a great return on investment, but there's actually decreased cost on the healthcare side. So that is now our charge, it's our call to action. We need to advocate to our legislators, we need to advocate to the Division of Public Health, we need to advocate to the governor's office, we need to advocate to philanthropic groups, community-based organizations, to continue to provide that funding. So that way we can scale this program up to not just 40 women, but 400 women, or 4000 women, so we’re reaching all mothers across the state."
UBI works. We need to scale this up to EVERYONE everywhere.
delawarepublic.org/science-h…
Australian Basic Income Lab retweeted
"Everybody is finding the same thing. We're not surprised by the results. If you're in this space, you understand that most people will use the money for basic needs... I'm extremely pleased with where we are. This income floor creates stability, an accelerated path toward safety, housing, work. It proves our theory of change is right."
Those who care about evidence know that #BasicIncome works.
westword.com/news/denver-bas…
Australian Basic Income Lab retweeted
"'We see people spending [their #BasicIncome] on basic needs and then when they have more money, they’re paying down debts and investing in their future,' said @markpdonovan, founder and executive director of @denverbip. 'The reports are exactly what we expected. People are getting housing faster and they’re getting to work faster.'"
"Willie Larkin, another formerly unhoused Denver Basic Income Project recipient, said the money he receives has saved his life.
'It gave me hope, it inspired me to know that I have something and someone that had faith in me, and that faith gave me all the strength I needed to look at myself, to want more, to do better.'
"Since receiving his first installment of money, Larkin has found an apartment, bought a car and gotten a job."
We know how to dramatically reduce homelessness. Just make sure everyone has some money every month with unconditional basic income. It works. It's time to move beyond experiments to national policy.
rmpbs.org/blogs/news/denver-…
Australian Basic Income Lab retweeted
With 10 days left, the @comingler1 crowdfunding campaign is 92% of the way there thanks to almost 500 backers. There is still one donor matching every $1 with another $1 for a 2x multiplier.
Please help us surpass 500 backers and reach for 1,000 backers!
igg.me/at/comingle
Australian Basic Income Lab retweeted
The stories coming out of the Welsh care leavers pilot are inspiring.
#LetsTryUBI
bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-6686…
Australian Basic Income Lab retweeted
🇨🇦 Let’s talk #BasicIncome! 🌟 Whether it’s #BasicIncomeCanada or #CalgaryBasicIncome, the goal is #IncomeEquality and #PovertyReduction. Join the #UBI conversation for a fairer future! 💪 #IncomeForAll #EconomicJustice 🌍
Australian Basic Income Lab retweeted
In our opinion, the increase to Centrelink payments while welcome, didn't go nearly far enough.
The testimonial below is how one of our members describes their feelings on it.
How do you feel about this pathetic effort from our government?
#poverty
#auspol
ALT Image shows a group of activists holding a banner saying "Poverty is a political choice" on a Facebook post that says: JobSeeker has just been raised by $4 a day, keeping low-income earners on Centrelink hundreds of dollars a week below the poverty-line. This "raise" will have little material effect on struggling Australians who desperately need support. Here's a testimonial from one of our members on JobSeeker outlining their thoughts: “An extra $40 a fortnight does nothing for me. It might mean occasionally I eat twice a day, instead of once a day, or be able to get 3 or 4 extra items at the checkout, on the one day that I shop. It will not help me in getting to doctor’s appointments from a rural area, to the city, the money would be gone in one trip. I am disappointed, but mostly angry.” How do you feel about this pathetic effort from our government?
Australian Basic Income Lab retweeted
Interesting issues for @dfatirl, @Irish_Aid and the @Dochasnetwork agencies to consider within their programming.
Another day, another successful multi-year test of universal basic income. This time in Uganda:
"Simply transferring money to people living in poverty works. They then invest it in food, clean drinking water, education and a sustainable house with solar panels. These are the main findings of a study by the University of Groningen that examined an initiative by INclusion, which was the first Dutch NGO to launch a universal basic income project in Uganda in 2020."
"The universal basic income project started in August 2020 in the village of Welle, Uganda, in cooperation with the Ugandan NGO AFARD. The village then had 350 inhabitants, more than half of whom lived in extreme poverty. For the past three years, INclusion gave all the inhabitants of Welle - adults and children - 15 euros per month, without conditions."
As a result of the #UBI:
✅️extreme poverty has decreased from 55% to 10%
✅️food security increased significantly, as did access to clean drinking water
✅️elementary school participation increased from 70% to 87%
✅️there was 75% less dropout from work and school due to illness
✅️many residents built new, more sustainable homes
✅️residents also invested in land for agriculture
✅️the percentage of households owning cattle increased from 9% to 49%
✅️ownership of solar panels increased from 19% to 74%
"Given all these positive changes, it is not surprising that the residents also told the interviewers that their stress has greatly decreased - such as daily worries about food and medicine - and that they are now more optimistic about their future."
"The basic idea is that people living in poverty know best themselves what they need, and that they are also the most motivated to improve their own situation. That idea is confirmed by this project and other research on this topic. When you give people living in poverty the opportunity to improve their own living conditions, with a little help, they grab it with both hands."
We don't need any more tests. Some country just needs to be the first to actually do it.
rug.nl/feb/research/frn/news…
Australian Basic Income Lab retweeted
Great to see #DirectCashTransfers making a difgference to those that need it in #Afghanistan
zurl.co/CLVH
Australian Basic Income Lab retweeted
What??!! Giving monthly checks to families as part of the #ChildTaxCredit cut the child poverty rate nearly in half?
Who would have thought that the solution to poverty is to give people more income. A basic, guaranteed income.
#CTCNOW #BasicIncomeNow
whitehouse.gov/briefing-room…