If Britain had even a modest Basic Income scheme, it would prevent or postpone 125,000 cases of depressive disorders and 120,000 cases of clinically significant physical health symptoms a year. This would save the NHS and personal social services £125 million every year, quite apart from the effect it would have on poverty and inequality.
A modest scheme, which would not require any new taxes, would mean giving £75 a week to all adults under 65 and £205 a week to everyone over 65 (…