Camden Council to investigate a ‘basic income’ for young care leavers

Camden Council is considering giving care-experienced young people in the borough a “basic income” and is to commission an external provider to help it design a pilot project.

Care-experienced young people suffer relative disadvantage in education and employment compared with their peers. In January 2024 the council held a themed debate and agreed to make “care-experience” a “locally protected characteristic”.

The council is now seeking an external provider to work in partnership with the borough for nine-months to explore options for providing financial support for young care-leavers based on the “basic income” model.

“The Welsh government have piloted a Universal Basic Income for care-experienced young people, and Camden are keen to play a role in further stimulating the debate for a basic income pilot in Camden by taking forward a pilot,” states a report on the decision.

A basic income is given unconditionally, is not means-tested, with recipients free to choose how they additionally gain an earned income with the comfort of a genuine safety net and without the need to claim welfare benefits.

Commissioning an outside provider will help the council “work through a range of ethical and moral questions about how a pilot would work”.

The total contract value is £100,000 over a nine-month period, aiming to start in October 2024. The procurement route will be a competitive tender.

Camden Council, decision: Procurement Strategy for Care-Experienced Basic Income Pilot Scoping.