December Collaboration and Survey
Published on November 30, 2021 by Jess Stacey
We have some really exciting news. We are receiving £1148 from a project that we have been working on with a campaign group called the Basic Income Conversation. That means we will be able to distribute this money very soon and grants in December will be funded by supporters for a basic income!
Over the last couple of months, the Basic Income Conversation and London solidarity funds raised £3590 from supporters of a basic income! This money is now being shared amongst the London solidarity funds so we can share this money with neighbours in need. Here in Brent we're getting a big chunk of that.
Over the last couple of months, the Basic Income Conversation and London solidarity funds raised £3590 from supporters of a basic income! This money is now being shared amongst the London solidarity funds so we can share this money with neighbours in need. Here in Brent we're getting a big chunk of that.
To say thank you for this support, throughout December we’ll be sharing some information about the campaign for a basic income. We’ll also be asking neighbours who receive funds in December to help by filling in a short survey. If you are a neighbour claiming, we'll post this link to the notes under your approved application. If you are a referrer who helps people access the fund, we would be really grateful if you could go through this survey with the person you're speaking to, or email it to them for completion. NB that completing the survey is not required to access the fund, but data gathered will be used to highlight the need for these funds, and to make the case for structural solutions to financial precarity.
Those neighbours who do complete the survey, and who are interested in this topic, will also be invited to express an interest in joining a small paid focus group. Participants in the focus group will be paid £45 plus any travel expenses for a 90 minute focus group session as the Basic Income Conversation really want to make it worth neighbours’ time and energy to help evaluate the project.
Those neighbours who do complete the survey, and who are interested in this topic, will also be invited to express an interest in joining a small paid focus group. Participants in the focus group will be paid £45 plus any travel expenses for a 90 minute focus group session as the Basic Income Conversation really want to make it worth neighbours’ time and energy to help evaluate the project.
For anyone curious to know a little more about the project, we’ve shared some more details below:
The Basic Income Conversation believe everyone has a right to financial security so they campaign for something called a basic income.
A basic income would guarantee financial security for all. It has five core characteristics:
- Cash: it’s money you can spend on whatever you want.
- Regular: so you know the next payment is coming.
- Individual: Each person gets their own basic income, paid to the individual not the household.
- Unconditional: You don’t have to work or make any promises to get your basic income, there are no strings attached
- Universal: everyone gets it.
As you may have read in our previous announcement about the project earlier this year, we decided to team up with the Basic Income Conversation and several other London solidarity funds because there are many overlaps between what we do in our solidarity funds and a basic income. Key differences are that we can’t make regular payments to absolutely everyone, and basic income payments would be a lot bigger than the £30 we are able to give. Currently there are no government policies to provide a basic income, but we think that financial security for everyone should be the future! So that’s why we wanted to team up with the Basic Income Conversation.
We hope that answers any questions you might have, but please do email us at [email protected] if not!
Jess, on behalf of the BSF team