Universal basic income of £1,600 a month to be trialled in England

Scheme to run for two years and will be monitored to see what effect it has on mental and physical health

A universal basic income of £1,600 a month is to be trialled in England for the first time in a pilot programme.

Under the pilot programme, 30 people in two areas will be paid an unconditional lump sum each month for two years, with the participants observed to better understand the effects on their lives.