There has been a recent surge of interest in the idea of a Universal Basic Income (UBI). A combination of increasing inequality, new waves of industrial automation, and a greater cognizance of the ecological limits to growth have made Universal Basic Income the object of unparalleled interest throughout the world.
Alleviating poverty and mitigating inequalities, Universal Basic Income is seen as a collective entitlement. A principle that supports the idea that, by virtue of being a citizen, each person has a right to a basic income. UBI would be unconditional and not tied to employment. It would not be targeted but be universal, and it should be given in cash. It is envisaged as affording everyone, especially the poor, with an income to take care of their essential needs and can also be seen as a technique of redistribution of resources from the rich to the less fortunate.
In the presence of a competent financial system, a Universal Basic Income could be the quickest way of easing poverty and promotes many of the essential values of a society which respects all individuals as free and equal. A Universal Basic Income takes the individual and not the household as the unit of the beneficiary.