In March 2021 US President Joe Biden passed a $1.9 trillion fiscal stimulus package. This included a third Economic Impact Payment of up to $1400. Most US residents qualify for Economic Impact Payments. All you need is a valid Social Security Number and an income of less than $75,000, if you earn more than that your payment will be reduced or phased out.

This is a popular policy, many people have started referring to this third payment as Biden Bucks. These payments, including the first of up to $1200 in March 2020 and second of up to $600 in December, have provided people across the US with vital income support as they cope with the fallout of the pandemic.

So, this is cash, paid with very few conditions almost universally across the US. A programme that is just a few steps away from a basic income.

What does an unconditional cash transfer programme of this scale mean for the basic income debate in the US?

And, what can we learn and apply to the UK context?

During this event we will ask a panel of experts to explore Economic Impact Payments in the US and what they mean for basic income in the UK.

Our guests will include:

• Natalie Foster - Natalie is the co-chair and co-founder of the Economic Security Project, a network to support exploration and experimentation of a guaranteed income, and a senior fellow at the The Aspen Institute Future of Work Initiative. Previously, Natalie served as digital director for President Obama’s Organizing for America (OFA) and the Democratic National Committee. Natalie built the first digital department at the Sierra Club and served as the deputy organizing director for MoveOn.org.
• Almaz Zelleke - Almaz is a political scientist with a focus on political theory and public policy. She is Professor of Practice in Political Science at NYU Shanghai and directs its interdisciplinary undergraduate Social Science major. Almaz was the program chair for the 18th Annual North American Basic Income Guarantee Congress held at Hunter College’s Silberman School of Social Work June 15-16, 2019.
• Martin Sandbu - Martin is the Financial Times's European Economics Commentator. He has written about the US stimulus package and how the direct payments could be adapted to something that more closely resembles a basic income to better address insecurity. Before joining the FT, he worked in academia and policy consulting. He has taught and carried out research at Harvard, Columbia and the Wharton School, and has advised governments and NGOs on natural resources and economic development. He is the author of three books, on business ethics, the euro, and on "the economics of belonging". He was educated at the universities of Oxford and Harvard.