Governance & Policy
Universal Basic Services (UBS)
Definition
Universal basic services is a social policy model proposing that everyone's needs be met through collectively provided services free at the point of use — extending the principle of health and education to housing, food, local transport, care and digital access. Developed by the UCL Institute for Global Prosperity (2017) as an alternative to universal basic income, UBS argues that services deliver more security per pound than cash, build shared institutions, and carry lower environmental footprints than equivalent private consumption.
References
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This reference provides supporting context for how “Universal Basic Services (UBS)” is defined and used.
Overview
How it is used
The model structures post-growth social policy debate, municipal service experiments, and alternatives-to-UBI policy analysis.
Why it matters
UBS is the most developed proposal for guaranteeing a good life that does not depend on ever-rising private consumption — sufficiency as public policy.