Basic Income for Care Leavers in Wales
A time-limited basic income pilot run by the Welsh Government that gave care leavers a guaranteed monthly income of £1,600 (gross) for up to two years after their 18th birthday. The pilot enrolled young people who turned 18 between 1 July 2022 and 30 June 2023, with 644 individuals (97% of the eligible cohort) taking part. Payments were unconditional on employment or education status but replaced entitlement to most other means-tested benefits. Delivery of payments concluded by 30 June 2025 (a handful of late-joining recipients finished shortly after), though the independent evaluation led by Cardiff University's CASCADE research centre continues through 2027.
Care leavers, Foster youth, Time-limited pilot, UK devolved government, Quasi-experimental evaluation
Headquarters
- Organization Name
- Welsh Government
- City
- Cardiff
- State / Province
- Wales
- Country
- United Kingdom
Contact
Status & Funding
- Organization status
- Active
- Program status
- Inactive
- Number of recipients
- 644
- Funding type
- Government, Research Pilot
Benefits
- Currency Type
- Fiat
- Currency
- GBP
- Total Amount
- 38,400 GBP (≈ $51,176.39)
- Avg. Per Month
- 1,600 GBP (≈ $2,132.35)
- Payment frequency
- Monthly
- How long the program lasts
- 24 months
- Distribution Type
- Direct Deposit
- Benefit details
Recipients received £1,600 per month gross (taxed at source, netting approximately £1,280/month) paid directly into a personal bank, building society, or credit union account. Payments continued for up to 24 months following the recipient's 18th birthday, regardless of employment or student status, and were on top of any earnings. Payments could be paused or stopped in some circumstances, such as imprisonment, and receiving basic income affected eligibility for other means-tested benefits.
Eligibility
Overview
- Eligibility details
Eligible individuals were care leavers who turned 18 between 1 July 2022 and 30 June 2023, who either lived in Wales at the time of leaving care or had been looked after by a Welsh local authority while in care elsewhere. Local authority Young Person's Advisors or Social Workers proactively identified and contacted eligible young people to help them decide whether to opt in; there was no public/open application process. 97% of the eligible cohort (644 of an estimated ~664) chose to participate.
Demographics
- Minimum age
- 18
- Maximum age
- 18
Family
- Family Status
- Foster Youth
Financial
- Banked status
- Banked
Geography
- Countries covered
- United Kingdom (Wales only)
- Residency of Target Geography
- Yes
Participation
- Research / data sharing
- Optional
- Research / participation requirements
Participants were invited (not required) to give feedback on their experience to their Young Person's Advisor or Social Worker. A subset also took part in the independent CASCADE (Cardiff University)-led quasi-experimental evaluation, including interviews and focus groups, alongside analysis of linked administrative data comparing recipients to a matched comparison cohort.
Application Process
- How to apply
No open public application. Local authority Young Person's Advisors or Social Workers automatically identified and contacted care-experienced young people meeting the birthdate/eligibility criteria and helped them decide whether basic income was right for them and get set up to receive it.
- Selection process
Automatic identification via local authority care records of individuals turning 18 within the eligibility window (1 July 2022 – 30 June 2023) who met the Wales care-leaver residency criteria; eligible young people then voluntarily opted in with support from their Young Person's Advisor or Social Worker.
