Guaranteed Income

Building the next economy

Peggy O'Mara

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Guaranteed income is a type of cash transfer program that provides regular, unconditional, and unrestricted payments to individuals or households. Guaranteed income may be targeted toward people below a certain income level and is seen as an instrument to help alleviate poverty. A guaranteed income is different from a universal basic income, which is also unconditional, but is not targeted and is for everyone.

What is a guaranteed income?

According to the Jain Family Institute Guaranteed Income Toolkit, key components of an evidence-based guaranteed income program are cash transfers that are:

  • unconditional
  • unrestricted
  • recurring on a regular basis
  • in tandem with other safety net programs
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The importance of protecting benefits

In tandem with other safety net programs means that the money received from a guaranteed income pilot not be used to reduce an individual’s public benefits, such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Medicaid. It is…

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