Gaps in the U.S. Safety Net and the Rise of Guaranteed Income Pilots

• Wed, 25.11.
• 12.15-13.45
• Room C1.312

In her talk, Leah Hamilton examines how gaps in the U.S. safety net gave rise to more than 150 guaranteed income pilots, drawing on her evaluations of programs in Georgia and St. Louis (MO). She then turns to state child tax credits as a possible route from temporary pilots to permanent policy, and invites participants to consider which features of child benefit systems in Germany, Canada, and the United Kingdom the U.S. might adopt. The session presents work in progress and is designed for open discussion.

Leah Hamilton, MSW, Ph.D., is a Professor of Social Work at Appalachian State University, a Senior Fellow at the Jain Family Institute, and a Faculty Affiliate at the Social Policy Institute of Washington University in St. Louis. She teaches social welfare policy and conducts research on economic justice and basic income. As Principal Investigator of the Family Economic Policy Lab, she leads the evaluation of several basic/guaranteed income pilots across the United States. Her work has been featured in multiple national publications, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, CNBC, The Atlantic, Forbes, National Public Radio, Fortune, and Fast Company. She serves on the Policy Council for the Humanity Forward Foundation and formerly served on the Basic Income Earth Network board and as President of the ACLU-NC.