01
Universal Standard Income
A financial foundation, built on participation.
A Universal Standard Income for adults aged 21 and over, introduced progressively over ten years and linked to a participation requirement with defined exemptions.
Published Manifesto 1.0 policy. The sections below set out the proposal as published. Questions and challenges are open questions, not settled answers.
Key figures
- Eligibility
- Adults aged 21+
- Year 1
- £4,000
- Year 10 benchmark
- £12,570
- A destination figure, not an immediate payment.
- Participation
- ≈16 hrs/week
- Averaged across the year, for those capable of participating.
01 · The Idea
Proposal 01 would create a basic financial foundation for adults aged 21 and over through a Universal Standard Income (USI), introduced progressively over ten years rather than all at once.
The USI is not proposed as an unconditional £12,570 payment, and it is not simply “more benefits”. It is a standard financial floor paired with a participation expectation for those capable of participating.
02 · How it works
The USI would be phased in across a ten-year trajectory, beginning at £4,000 a year and rising towards a £12,570 benchmark in Year 10.
For adults capable of participating, eligibility would normally require an average of approximately 16 hours per week across the year through a recognised participation route.
The system would include defined exemptions, so that people who cannot reasonably meet the participation requirement are not excluded from the financial foundation.
| Year | Annual USI |
|---|---|
| Year 1 | £4,000 |
| Year 2 | £4,750 |
| Year 3 | £5,500 |
| Year 4 | £6,500 |
| Year 5 | £7,500 |
| Year 6 | £8,500 |
| Year 7 | £9,500 |
| Year 8 | £10,500 |
| Year 9 | £11,500 |
| Year 10 | £12,570 |
The Year 10 figure is a destination and benchmark rather than an immediate payment. Progression along this trajectory remains subject to fiscal sustainability.
Recognised participation could include
- Employment
- Self-employment
- Apprenticeship
- Accredited education
- Vocational training
- Approved volunteering or work preparation
- Another approved route
Defined exemptions would apply for circumstances such as
- Disability
- Temporary incapacity
- Caring responsibilities
- Other approved circumstances
03 · Why it is being proposed
The proposition is a bargain in three parts: greater basic financial security, a clear expectation of responsibility and participation, and a structure intended to make work pay.
It is put forward as one component of a wider tax-and-income settlement, alongside Proposal 02 (abolition of employee National Insurance) and Proposal 03 (progressive Income Tax), rather than as a standalone payment.
These are intended effects and design intentions. They are not presented as guaranteed outcomes.
What this proposal does not say
- The Year 10 figure of £12,570 is a benchmark destination, subject to fiscal sustainability.
- The USI is not an unconditional payment and should not be described as an increase in benefits.
04 · Questions & Challenges
Nothing in Manifesto 1.0 is presented as settled fact. These are open questions the proposal must be able to answer — they are not answered here.
- 01What is the total annual cost at each step of the ten-year trajectory, and how is it funded within the wider settlement?
- 02How is “recognised participation” verified without creating a costly or intrusive administrative system?
- 03Are the defined exemptions wide enough to protect disabled people, carers and people in temporary incapacity — and who decides?
- 04What happens at the boundary: does the participation requirement create a cliff-edge for people just under the 16-hour average?
- 05Why 21 and over, and what is proposed for adults aged 18–20?
- 06How does the USI interact with existing benefits, housing support and the treatment of households rather than individuals?
Have Your Say
What is your view on this proposal?
Scrutiny, not endorsement. Disagreement is as useful here as support.
Responses are counted anonymously and the running totals are shown publicly beside each option. One response per device, changeable at any time.
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