MS, Cabinet Secretary for Social
Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip: The Basic Income for Care
Leavers in Wales pilot was launched in July 2022 and provided a
cohort of care-experienced young people in Wales with an income
of £1,600 per month (before tax) for 24 months after they turned
18 years of age. Uptake of the pilot was very high, with 97% of
the eligible cohort (644 individuals) choosing to take part in
the pilot.
The Welsh Government is committed to learning about how this
groundbreaking and innovative initiative was experienced, by both
the recipients and those who worked to design, deliver and
implement the policy.
Whilst the delivery of the pilot concluded in 2025, the
comprehensive evaluation continues into 2027. The independent
evaluation is led by the CASCADE research centre at Cardiff
University, alongside colleagues at King's College London,
University of Oxford, University of York and Northumbria
University.
The evaluation of the pilot is now in its fourth year, and today,
we publish the third evaluation report, the Basic Income for Care
Leavers in Wales Pilot Evaluation, Annual Report 2025 – 2026.
This report presents qualitative findings from interviews and
focus groups with young people, capturing their experiences and
reflections at both the mid-point and the end of the pilot. It
also offers professional perspectives on the pilot's design and
their perceptions of how it has affected the young people they
support. Additionally, the evaluators have revised the programme
theory model, using data collected throughout the evaluation
process, to improve our understanding of how and why a basic
income may contribute to positive outcomes. A summary of the
findings is also available.
Looking ahead, a further annual report will follow in early 2027
with the final evaluation report expected to be released in the
summer of 2027. These reports will assess the impact of being in
receipt of basic income compared to a similar cohort who did not
receive the basic income. The economic evaluation, also expected
in 2027, will consider whether the pilot represented value for
money. A longer-term evaluation framework using administrative
data is also being developed to enable the wider research
community to understand the impact of the pilot beyond 2027.
I would like to thank all the recipients and practitioners who
have given their time and insights towards this vital research
project.
