What is The Social Guarantee?

Universal services can improve sustainability by preventing harm, stabilising the economy and transforming provisioning systems to reduce environmental damage. They are better able than market systems to coordinate sustainable practices such as active travel, resource-efficient buildings and local food procurement, and to implement strategies for reducing GHG emissions. They can offset regressive effects of climate policies (such as higher energy prices) and help ensure a ‘just transition’ to sustainable living.

Public services represent a ‘social income’ that we get in addition to money income. They are worth a great deal, especially to people on low incomes, because they don’t have to be paid for directly. Alongside a guaranteed minimum income derived from fair wages and benefits, universal services are a sure way of tackling poverty and inequality.

Meeting needs through collectively provided services gives greater value for money than trying to meet them through markets. Private contracts tend to be inflexible, limiting scope for improvement. Costs are higher where profits are extracted for shareholders. Public sector organisations can avoid costs incurred by competing commercial organisations – for example, by sharing administrative, purchasing and research functions.

Universal services involve all of us in sharing resources and acting together to deal with risks and problems that individuals can't cope with alone. This builds solidarity by showing how people depend on each other both giving and receiving, by bringing different groups together and by reducing inequalities that stop people feeling they share values and interests.