Emergency Basic Income
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of Tuvalu introduced an Emergency Basic Income, an unconditional monthly cash payment of AUD 40 to every citizen of Tuvalu, including children, for the duration of the country's State of Emergency declared in March 2020. Distinct top-up allowances were also provided to overseas Tuvaluan students, stranded civil servants, and workers who were laid off or had reduced hours. The program was funded through Tuvalu's national COVID-19 supplementary budget (roughly 30% of GDP) together with grants from the governments of Australia and New Zealand. The World Bank's global COVID-19 social protection tracker labeled Tuvalu's scheme a 'UBI' and noted it was the only universal, population-wide program worldwide delivering temporary payments in multiple (monthly) installments rather than a single lump sum. Tuvalu recorded zero COVID-19 cases during this period, so the payments functioned primarily as broad-based economic relief for a population highly exposed to disrupted trade, tourism, and remittance flows.
Pacific Islands, COVID-19 Emergency Response, Universal Basic Income, Small Island Developing State, World Bank UBI Case Study
Headquarters
- Organization Name
- Government of Tuvalu (Ministry of Finance and Economic Development)
- City
- Funafuti
- Country
- Tuvalu
Contact
- Website
- https://www.gov.tv/
- Phone
- +688 20408
- smtfin@gov.tv
- Social media links
Status & Funding
- Organization status
- Active
- Program status
- Inactive
- Application status
- Timed
- Number of recipients
- 11,000
- Funding type
- Government
Benefits
- Currency Type
- Fiat
- Currency
- AUD
- Total Amount
- 240 AUD (≈ $167.39)
- Avg. Per Month
- 40 AUD (≈ $27.90)
- Payment frequency
- Monthly
- How long the program lasts
- 6 months
- Benefit details
Citizens received AUD 40 per month for the duration of the state of emergency declared 20 March 2020 (per the joint IOM/ILO Government of Tuvalu report). Separately, National Provident Fund members could access pension savings (up to AUD 500 over 3 months), workers with reduced hours received about AUD 250 for 3 months, and redundant workers received emergency payments for 3 months. Overseas Tuvaluan students received monthly grants of roughly AUD 44-88, and stranded civil servants/police overseas received daily allowances. One news source (RNZ, April 2020) reported the universal citizen payment as 'just over US$17 a month' rather than AUD 40, a discrepancy not resolved in available sources. The precise end date of the monthly payments is not documented; a 2021 IMF review noted budget underspending tied to an eventual suspension of the universal cash payments.
Eligibility
Overview
- Eligibility details
Payments were universal and unconditional for all citizens of Tuvalu, including children, with no means test, income test, or application required. Smaller, separate allowances applied to Tuvaluan citizens who were overseas (students, civil servants) and to laid-off or reduced-hours workers within Tuvalu.
Demographics
- Minimum age
- 0
Citizenship
- Citizenship / immigration status
- Citizen
Geography
- Countries covered
- Tuvalu
- Residency of Target Geography
- Yes
Application Process
- How to apply
No application was required. Payments were disbursed automatically by the Government of Tuvalu to all citizens as part of the COVID-19 economic stimulus/relief package.
- Selection process
Universal disbursement to all citizens of Tuvalu; no selection process. Separate, differently sized allowances were determined by category (overseas students, overseas civil servants/police, National Provident Fund members, redundant or reduced-hour workers) rather than by application review.
