Reimagining food security through income security: the potential role of universal basic income in the UK

Food insecurity is increasing across the United Kingdom, driven by rising living costs, welfare retrenchment, and increasingly insecure incomes. Current policy responses largely rely on targeted food assistance and emergency provision, which can mitigate acute hardship but operate downstream of the structural drivers of food insecurity. This article synthesises evidence from food-specific interventions, means-tested benefits, labour-market policies, and unconditional cash transfer programmes to examine whether Universal Basic Income (UBI) could address upstream determinants of food security in high-income contexts. Drawing on international and UK-relevant evidence, we argue that income security is a necessary precondition for effective food and nutrition policy. While UBI cannot resolve structural power imbalances in food systems or replace targeted nutrition interventions, it may reduce financial precarity, improve dietary autonomy, and enhance the effectiveness of existing policies. We conclude that UBI should be understood not as a standalone solution, but as a foundational intervention within integrated food, welfare, and public health strategies.