Guaranteed Income: An Unconditional Investment in Children and Families

Everyone deserves the opportunity to thrive, with access to stable housing, good jobs, and quality healthcare, free from the threat of financial hardship. Economic security is about more than money—it’s fundamental to our health and wellbeing. 

When communities have the resources and support they need, families can spend time together, invest in their futures, and contribute to a stronger economy for all. Yet too many people are forced to make impossible choices like delaying medical care to afford rent, or spending less time with family to work an extra job to put food on the table.

Guaranteed income—an unconditional and recurring payment provided directly to people and families to supplement their existing resources—is one pathway to address these inequities and achieve economic inclusion for every family, regardless of background or ZIP code.

Key Findings

Since 2017, more than 150 guaranteed income pilots and programs have launched across the United States. The growing body of research on these initiatives continues to show that guaranteed income:

• Increases financial stability by helping families pay bills on time, build savings, and reduce debt
• Improves physical, mental, and emotional health by helping families afford healthcare, medical necessities like eyeglasses, and nutritious foods and by reducing stress, anxiety, and depression
• Enhances family wellbeing by giving parents and caregivers more time with their children
• Creates pathways to opportunity by enabling recipients to pursue education, job training, and full-time employment
• Provides autonomy and dignity by allowing families to make their own decisions about how to meet their unique needs

Policy Recommendations

To scale and sustain guaranteed income nationwide, policies like the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit can be reimagined as forms of guaranteed income. When designed equitably—by making them fully refundable, removing work requirements, distributing payments monthly, and ensuring all families have access—these tax credits can provide millions of families with the recurring, unconditional financial support they need to thrive.