Guaranteed Basic Income Cohort 1 (Family) - Year 1 Dashboard

Financial Well Being- Score Distribution (19-90 scale, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Scale)

The CFPB Financial Well-Being Scale measures an individual's overall state of financial security and freedom of choice. For our survey we use the abbreviated version of the questionnaire.

Financial Well Being (FWB) Score Range	Baseline #	Baseline %	Year 1 #	Year 1 %	Trend
Low (Below 30)	9	18%	7	14%	▼
Below Average (30-39)	8	16%	12	24%	▲
Average (40-49)	19	38%	19	38%	→
Above Average (50-59)	13	26%	8	16%	▼
High (60+)	1	2%	4	8%	▲

Housing Status Comparison

Tracking housing status is essential for a Guaranteed Basic Income (GBI) program because housing stability serves as the primary metric for evaluating program success and ensures that unconditioned cash transfers effectively prevent homelessness. Because low-income participants routinely spend over half of their unrestricted cash on rent and utilities, tracking where they live provides clear data on how cash injections directly mitigate the affordable housing crisis

Housing Type	Baseline #	Baseline %	Year 1 #	Year 1 %	Trend
Rent	31	62%	30	60%	▼
Mortgage	15	30%	15	30%	→
Own Home	2	4%	3	6%	▲
Live with Family	1	2%	1	2%	→
Other	1	2%	1	2%	→

Savings Range Comparison

Savings data serves as a core Key Performance Indicator (KPI) for economic mobility. Tracking this metric proves that GBI does more than just help people survive - it allows them to invest in education, career shifts, or small businesses.

Savings Range	Baseline #	Baseline %	Year 1 #	Year 1 %	Trend
$0-$50	27	54%	25	50%	▼
$51-$100	8	16%	4	8%	▼
$101-$200	2	4%	3	6%	▲
$201-$300	2	4%	2	4%	→
$301-$400	1	2%	2	4%	▲
$401-$500	2	4%	7	14%	▲
$501-$1000	3	6%	3	6%	→
More than $1000	5	10%	4	8%	▼

Credit Score Distribution

Tracking credit scores in a Guaranteed Basic Income (GBI) program helps evaluate how direct cash assistance improves participants' long-term financial health and stability.

Credit Range	Baseline #	Baseline %	Year 1 #	Year 1 %	Trend
Below 500	9	18%	7	14%	▼
500-549	3	6%	5	10%	▲
550-559	4	8%	6	12%	▲
600-649	13	26%	10	20%	▼
650-699	5	10%	6	12%	▲
700-749	5	10%	4	8%	▼
750 or higher	2	4%	4	8%	▲
I do not have a credit score	9	18%	8	16%	▼

$500 Emergency Expense - How Would Participants Pay?

The federal benchmark often shows that over half of Americans struggle to cover a sudden $500 expense with cash or savings. By asking this question at multiple points throughout the GBI pilot—not just at baseline and program completion—we can track whether and when unconditional cash helps low-income families move from managing immediate financial crises toward building and maintaining emergency savings.

Payment Method	Baseline #	Baseline %	Year 1 #	Year 1 %	Trend
Savings	0	0%	10	20%	▲
Cash	7	14%	6	12%	▼
Credit Card	8	16%	12	24%	▲
Borrow From Family/Friends	29	58%	6	12%	▼
Payday Loan	3	6%	11	22%	▲
Unable to Pay	2	4%	3	6%	▲
Other	1	2%	2	4%	▲

Food Security (1 Year Only)

Tracking food security within a Guaranteed Basic Income (GBI) program is essential because food security is one of the most direct, measurable indicators of whether the cash transfer is successfully reducing poverty.

Question	Yes #	Yes %	No #	No %
In the past month, did you every worry that food would run out before you could buy more?	25	50%	25	50%
In the past month, were you or any household member not able to eat the kinds of foods you preferred because of lack of resources?	23	46%	27	54%
In the past month, did you or any household member have to eat less in a day because there was not enough food?	12	24%	38	76%

Highlights and Challenges Identified

FINANCIAL RESILIENCE - KEY SHIFTS
Participants Using Savings for Emergencies	0% Baseline → 20% Year 1 ( ▲ 20%)
Reliance on Friends/Family for Emergencies	58% Baseline → 12% Year 1 (▼ 46%)
Credit Score Improved	16 out of 50 participants reported credit tier gains
Participants Reaching 750+ Credit Score	2 participants at Baseline → 4 participants at Year 1
POSITIVE OUTCOMES TO HIGHLIGHT
Participants Who Improved Financial Well-Being Score	22 out of 50 (44%) showed measurable improvement
Food Security (Year 1)	17 out of 50 participants (34%) report they are fully food secure
Participants Going Back to School	Multiple participants cohorts report they enrolled/re-enrolled in college or career training
CHALLENGES IDENTIFIED
Food Insecurity Rate Reported at Year 1	66% still experiencing some food insecurity
Financial Well Being Score Declined	22 out of 50 (44%) reported a decline in their Financial Well-Being