Britain's Royal Society of Arts is a large, long-established social research body, which seeks to find innovative, practical solutions to today's social challenges. In December 2015, the RSA released an important discussion paper based on 12 months of research, entitled "Creative citizen, creative state; the principled and pragmatic case for a Universal Basic Income".

The 51-page report describes succinctly, the background to the idea of a government-provided, obligation-free universal basic income to all its citizens; its practicability and its feasibility. The authors believe it offers a response to the difficulties that face countries everywhere, as they struggle with increasing unemployment, inequality and the intrusiveness and unsustainability of the modern welfare state.

Australia should be joining the international movement to consider the practical feasibility of providing a universal obligation-free income to all.

Mykayla Novak ("Welfare experiment may have applications in Australia", canberratimes.com.au, January 8) wrote about the growing interest around the world in this possibility of giving every citizen an obligation-free basic income and the fact that Finland is currently running a pilot study of this concept. Novak recognised both potential benefits and difficulties of such schemes and acknowledged the shortcomings of the current approach to welfare. She said that the idea appeals to people on both the progressive and conservative sides of economic policy and that it is being considered to eliminate the implicit poverty traps that come when welfare subsidies are circumscribed by extensive rules and bureaucratic limitations.

The RSA report argues strongly for the trial of a universal basic income in England. It points out that the spread of intelligent machines and new technology will affect the world of work in unpredictable ways, and that many people, through no fault of their own, will be unable to obtain adequate work to meet their basic needs. The scheme would impose no financial penalty on people for topping up their basic income entitlement with various forms of paid work. Indeed, the incentive to increase income through training, entrepreneurship, and part-time or full-time paid work would if anything, be greater. But, the worst kinds of inequality and poverty would be avoided. Carers, the handicapped, the disabled, and retired people would all be treated equally. The massive costs of policing welfare payments and entitlements would disappear. No means test would apply to the allowance, which would be at a level that would enable basic sustenance, shelter and education.