ITSA Newsletter: July 2025

The Latest and Biggest Basic Income News:

‣ South Korea is issuing a fully universal stimulus payment in Aug-Sept

‣ Zohran Mamdani said in a podcast that he’s ‘interested in universal basic income’

‣ Rep. Ben Waxman has introduced the Climate Emergency Basic Income Act in PA

‣ Former US Secretary of Labor says UBI is a critical long-term structural change

‣ Basic income for students resulted in better attendance and more financial literacy

‣ Study shows that income from selling blood plasma reduces crime by 12%

ITSA Foundation News Update:

Holdings For Good is one of the banks we use, and they recently decided to spotlight the work we’re doing at ITSA Foundation. You can read what they wrote about us here, but the following is an excerpt:

“In a world where millions face economic instability, where a single setback can mean disaster for a family, a new organization is quietly but powerfully rewriting the rules of philanthropy and social support. Income to Support All (ITSA) Foundation has emerged not merely as another charity, but as a movement, a community, and a blueprint for how we can share our collective prosperity in a truly transformative way.

Holdings is proud to recognize and celebrate the inspiring and mission-driven work of ITSA Foundation. In telling their story, we’re not only sharing the journey of a singular nonprofit, but inviting others to join a growing movement dedicated to building economic security for all.”

Also, thank you to those who have signed up as monthly supporters of Project Comingle after last month’s newsletter. If the pilot phase is going to succeed for a group of 10,000 people, we’ll need to find a few thousand people with incomes over $3000/mo willing to be net contributors to the community. If you want to help create a basic income floor right now, please consider starting now with a monthly pledge based on your current take-home income.

South Korea is issuing a fully universal stimulus payment in Aug-Sept [link]

• Everyone in South Korea will receive a “livelihood recovery consumption coupon” in August-September that’s the equivalent to about $200 in the US.

• Besides the universal payment, other groups will receive additional payments depending on their income and where they live.

• The payment is not in cash. It will function more like EBT in how it will only be able to purchase certain approved goods in certain approved stores and must be spent before expiration in November.

• A second payment will be sent in September-October, but it will be income-tested to exclude the top 10% and be the equivalent of about $130 in the US.

Zohran Mamdani said in a podcast that he’s ‘interested in universal basic income’ [link]

• When asked about UBI on the Road to Gracie Mansion Podcast, the Democratic primary winner to be the next mayor of NYC said, “I'm interested in UBI.”

• He followed that up by saying, “I think that Andrew Yang was a leader in bringing that to the forefront of consciousness across the country.”

• The young mayoral candidate also said it fascinated him how Yang’s vision for UBI brought New Yorkers into politics that previously hadn't seen any relevance of politics to their own lives.

Rep. Ben Waxman has introduced the Climate Emergency Basic Income Act in PA [link]

• Representative Ben Waxman in Pennsylvania’s House District 182 has introduced the Climate Emergency Basic Income Act.

• If passed into law, it would distribute $1,000 per month per adult for up to six months following a state-declared disaster, with an additional $500/mo per kid.

• Recipients will need to have experienced either catastrophic property loss (including the loss of tents, vehicles, documents, or essential belongings) or a serious injury resulting from a disaster.

Former US Secretary of Labor says UBI is a critical long-term structural change [link]

• In a recent ‘Ask Me Anything’ on Reddit, former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich was asked what he believed are the most critical long-term structural changes we need to make in response to AI, and he replied that UBI was one of them.

• He also responded with UBI when asked what policies he would enact if he could wave a magic wand and enact any policy he wanted.

• UBI can be won he believes because “with so many white-collar professionals in economic danger, we’ll have the political heft to get the changes we need.”

Basic income for students resulted in better attendance and more financial literacy [link]

• Known as the “The $50 Study”, 170 high schoolers in New Orleans have received $50 a week for 40 weeks each.

• The income floor resulted in better attendance and more financial literacy, but no improvement in grades.

• Described by one student as “the most helpful thing ever,” the program is expanding next to D.C. and perhaps Texas.

Study shows that income from selling blood plasma reduces crime by 12% [link]

• The opening of a blood plasma center in a city leads to a 12% drop in the crime rate, an effect driven primarily by property and drug-related offenses.

• Typical pay is $30-$70 per visit with an allowable frequency of twice per week, for a total of about $400 a month on average for twice-weekly donors.

• Researchers directly connected the crime reduction impacts of the blood plasma income as approximating what we could likely see with a UBI of similar size.

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Scott Santens

Founder & CEO, ITSA Foundation