Abstract
<jats:p>The Arctic zone of the Russian Federation is one of the most promising resource and logistics regions of the state. A significant challenge to its development is the low population density, which hinders the development of necessary infrastructure and the implementation of such crucial geopolitical projects as the Northern Sea Route. The existing social support system in the Arctic regions appears to be insufficient to retain and attract people to permanent residence in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation. One of the universal tools for expanding social support in the Arctic regions of Russia could be a universal social payment program, which is essentially similar to the concept of “basic income”. The author examines the successful application of the basic income concept from a socio-demographic point of view in the US state of Alaska, where permanent residents receive annual payments from the Alaska Permanent Fund. The author proposes a mechanism for implementing universal social payments in the Arctic regions of Russia, as well as the legal conditions for receiving such payments. Among the conditions for receiving universal social payments, the author highlights the following: Russian citizenship, permanent residence in the Arctic regions, children attending schools at the place of registration in the Arctic regions, annual medical examinations, participation of unemployed able-bodied citizens in professional retraining programs, and participation of unemployed able-bodied citizens in socially useful activities. The author points out possible grounds for the deprivation of universal social payments, such as the commission of a criminal offense, repeated administrative violations related to the circulation and use of alcohol and drugs.</jats:p>