Basic Income And How We Can Make It Happen

Basic Income: And How We Can Make It Happen is Guy Standing’s case for a universal basic income: a modest, regular cash payment made unconditionally to every individual. Standing presents basic income as a social right rather than a means-tested welfare benefit, arguing that it recognizes each person’s contribution to society’s shared wealth. Published by Pelican in 2017, the book examines basic income’s possible effects on poverty, inequality, work, labour markets, and economic security. It also addresses common objections, reviews lessons from basic-income experiments and pilots, and considers practical routes for turning the idea into policy. A central concern is the rise of precarious work unstable, insecure employment and the prospect that automation and changing labour markets may weaken the traditional link between paid work and a reliable income. Standing argues that a basic income could strengthen freedom, security, and social justice in response.