“The Well-being of Future Generations Act puts an obligation on Wales to use long-term, joined-up thinking to keep people well, with progressive solutions.

As the person responsible for setting out future-focused policies to Welsh Government, I’m delighted that the First Minister is listening to the issues I’ve been raising about needing new ways to tackle poverty, the need to mitigate the worst effects of the increasingly precarious nature of work and the benefits to overall well-being that a basic income could bring. 

Signaling basic income as a priority for the new government is an incredibly significant commitment by the First Minister to tackling Wales’ poverty and health inequalities – which cause lasting damage to the health and prospects of individuals, families and communities. It’s a huge moment for the campaign, which I’ve been proud to be a part of, and the growing support for a fairer way of allowing people to meet their basic needs. 

I have an exciting report coming out this year that will provide further analysis of how a form of basic income could improve the lives of people in Wales for generations to come. Our poll earlier this year with Autonomy found that 69% of people in Wales supported a basic income pilot. 

The current system isn’t working – Wales’ commitment to exploring a basic income once again proves it’s often the small countries that can be world-leading and make the biggest changes. 

Hopefully this is the start of even more progressive policy announcements to come from Mark Drakeford’s government.”

Sophie Howe, Future Generations Commissioner for Wales