Sign up to FREE email alerts from Liverpool Echo - Weekly Politics Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson has given a pledge on Universal Basic Income as work to bring in the radical new policy moves closer.

UBI is a system where everyone would be guaranteed a certain minimum amount of income, regardless of whether they are employed or not.

Advocates believe it could help to alleviate poverty, though trials of it have had mixed results in countries like Finland.

Labour have backed a trial of UBI in a UK city should they get into government - and shadow chancellor John McDonnell has said Liverpool would be a good potential trial location.

However there have been some concerns within the council over how the policy would be implemented if the trial was done under a Conservative government.

Mayoral lead for fairness and equality Jane Corbett said her main concern about UBI was whether the city's most vulnerable would lose access to other financial support if the city took on a UBI trial.

Speaking at the council's most recent audit and governance committee, Councillor Corbett said: "My worry about UBI is that right-wingers like the ones in government now will say 'once people have got their UBI they can go away without any other help'."

But Mayor Joe Anderson has said he would not accept any system of Universal Basic Income that cut other support for the city's most vulnerable.

Mayor Anderson said: "We would ensure there is no detriment to us.

(Image: Liverpool Echo)

"The bottom line is we will trial it if we are clear that there will be no financial penalties for people using it."

It comes as a working group between councillors on how a potential UBI trial would work continues to meet.

The idea of bringing in UBI in the city was brought to wider attention last year after city councillors Ann O'Byrne and Patrick Hurley put forward a motion at a full council meeting calling on the government to introduce it.

The Conservative government has made no commitment to trialling UBI, with Labour hoping to look at a trial of the policy should it win an election.

So how much would everyone get?

Current suggestions from campaigners would see everyone receive an initial basic income of £2,400 a year for adults - with £1,500 paid to every child.

The idea would be to eventually double the adult payments to £4,800 per person - which would work out at £400 per month.

The idea of a Universal Basic Income is that everyone gets it - whether you are in work or not.

It has not been made clear thus far whether its plan would include extra support payments for those who may struggle to manage living costs on just £400 a month.