Researching the health effects of basic income in Norway

The Basic Income Conference was a collaboration between researchers from OsloMet, Kristiania University College, and the University of Warwick, in the UK. The event brought together internationally renowned experts in the field, and many interesting contributions were presented.

"We wanted to bring together all the leading voices in this field for a broad discussion on the sorts of activities and underpinning research we might need to tackle before doing trials of the effects of basic income on health", says organiser Robert Froud, professor at Kristiania University College.

On the first day of the conference, several presentations were given by researchers with experience from basic income experiments in other countries. Topics ranged from practical and methodological insights to political and ethical questions related to implementing basic income.

Difficult to find political will

One of the invited researchers, Jurgen De Wispelaere, is considered one of the world’s foremost experts on basic income. In his presentation, he discussed basic income trials done in Finland, Catalonia, Canada, and Ireland and that these four different cases, all shared challenges relating to political interference.

Jurgen De Wispelaere is considered one of the world’s leading experts on basic income. Photo: Tove R. Nilsen / OsloMet

"Basically, what we want to get is long-term political commitment covering the full duration of the trials from initial planning all the way through to the reporting of its findings", he said.

Political commitment to trialling  basic income can be hard to achieve, especially in Norway, which has a well-developed and highly respected welfare system.

"It would be fruitful to carry out basic income-inspired trials in Norway, but such a trial must be adapted to the income security system we have, in order to gain political traction", says Professor at OsloMet, Ann-Helén Bay, who herself is a social security researcher.

Although Bay believes that implementing a full-scale basic income in Norway is unlikely, she still sees potential:

"The idea of basic income could usefully inspire reforms in income security", she says.

Various basic income trials have been conducted around the world, and in some countries, it has even been implemented in limited regions, such as in several small towns across Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil. In Western countries with comprehensive welfare systems, it has been relatively under-tested, though research has shown that basic income initiatives were similar to other measures (in norwegian).

Professor at OsloMet, Ann-Helén Bay, believes the idea of basic income can inspire new reforms in income security. Photo: Kamilla Johanne Brandal / OsloMet

Based on five criteria

The universal basic income definition rests on five key characteristics:

• It is paid in cash (not in vouchers or services).
• It is individual, meaning it is given to persons, not households.
• It is universal, meaning everyone receives it regardless of income, employment status, or means testing.
• It is unconditional, meaning there are no requirements for work, job-seeking, or other obligations.
• It is regular, meaning it is paid periodically, not as a one-time benefit.

The basic income idea has been tested in several countries, and according to De Wispelaere, it can have a significant socio-economic impact, especially in developing countries in Africa. However, in-line with Bay, De Wispelaere cautions that this would not necessarily apply to Nordic countries:

"It's complicated, because we have this huge welfare system with a lot of other policies that interacts in complex ways with a basic income".

Not against work

According to De Wispelaere, one of the most common misconceptions about basic income is that it opposes work.

"One of the wrong ways of thinking about basic income is that basic income is against work. It's not." says De Wispelaere.

Basic income is better seen as an economic floor, a foundation to build upon. This means you don’t lose it if you work, but it supports you while working and at the same time serves as a safety net if you find yourself unemployed for a period.

"One of the wrong ways of thinking about basic income is that basic income is against work. It's not." says De Wispelaere. Photo: Tove R. Nilsen / OsloMet

"There is no evidence that people are massively reducing working time or leaving employment", says the researcher.

"But if they do, it’s usually for two reasons: to pursue further education or due to caregiving responsibilities".

An alternative in uncertain times

De Wispelaere believes basic income is highly relevant in today’s world.

"Our world may actually be changing and a basic income could play a role".

He points to the recent pandemic, significant climate changes, and the perception of AI as a threat to the labour market.

"Basic income is often put forward as a way to deal with emergency situations and we're expecting more of that".

He also believes basic income can help recognise and support tasks that have not traditionally been considered work in society, such as caring for children and/or the elderly.

Positive health effects

Jurgen De Wispelaere has more than 25 years of experience in the field and believes findings from other studies show that basic income may have a positive impact on health.

"People were generally reporting that they were having better mental and physical health, experienced less stress, were more active and eating better", he explains.

De Wispelaere refers to previous basic income projects that showed short-term positive health effects, but calls for studies that examine long-term outcomes.

"We want to know whether these health effects continue or whether they disappear over time".
Several of the conference participants are now working on a research proposal focused on the health effects of basic income in Norway.

Interesting discussions

The second day of the conference consisted of a closed session, where invited researchers discussed what underpinning pieces of research are needed ahead of a credible grant application for basic income-related research in Norway.

"Research priorities were suggested by an international academic network, and interesting issues for future research were raised", says Ann-Helén Bay, who participated in the discussions.