Alaska’s free money for residents hints at how universal basic income may work

Annual payments from Alaska oil revenues offer data for research into a universal basic income

Alaska Permanent Fund

Alaskans wait in line to sign up for their share of the state’s oil revenues from the Alaska Permanent Fund. The annual payout — $1,606 per person this year — can provide clues about the pros and cons of a universal basic income.

Loren Holmes/Adn/Alaska Dispatch News/ZUMA Wire/Alamy Live News

Most everyone who has lived in Alaska for a year or more just got $1,606, no strings attached.