Press Release: Reweaving the Safety Net: The Best Fit for Guaranteed Income
New York, NY, December 15, 2020 — A new report from the Jain Family Institute examines optimal design for guaranteed income in the real-world national context, considering how a new cash transfer policy could best pair with or replace existing social safety net programs.
The second in a white paper series that provides an in depth analysis of building a guaranteed income in the US, “Reweaving the Safety Net: The Best Fit for Guaranteed Income” reviews the literature on cash assistance, indexes current income support and insurance programs, and offers insights on where and how best a guaranteed income could fit into this landscape. The paper also examines key open questions about optimal amount and frequency of cash transfers.
The authors of the report are JFI Director of Research Sidhya Balakrishnan, Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College professor Michael A. Lewis, and JFI Lead Researcher on Guaranteed Income Stephen Nuñez.
Key findings include: