How cash transfers promote the case for basic income

Standing, Guy

Abstract

There has long been a minority view that providing people with cash is an effective way of combating poverty and economic insecurity while promoting livelihoods and work. The mainstream view has nevertheless been that giving people money, without conditions or obligations, promotes idleness and dependency, while being unnecessarily costly. This paper reviews recent evidence on various types of schemes implemented in developing countries, including several pilot cash transfer schemes, assessing them by reference to principles of social justice. It concludes that experience with cash transfers is strengthening the case for a universal basic income.

Citation

Standing, G. (2008). How cash transfers promote the case for basic income. Basic Income Studies, 3(1), 1-30. https://doi.org/10.2202/1932-0183.1106

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Apr 1, 2008
• Deposit Date: Mar 11, 2013
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 11, 2025
• Journal: Basic Income Studies
• Print ISSN: 2194-6094
• Electronic ISSN: 1932-0183
• Publisher: De Gruyter
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 3
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 1-30
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.2202/1932-0183.1106
• Keywords: basic income, cash transfers, disability grants, economic security, food aid, social pensions, vouchers
• Publisher URL: http://www.degruyter.com/view/j/bis.2008.3.1/bis.2008.3.1.1106/bis.2008.3.1.1106.xml