{"id":19425,"date":"2019-06-20T12:15:08","date_gmt":"2019-06-20T12:15:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/smh.group\/?p=19425"},"modified":"2023-02-15T13:50:12","modified_gmt":"2023-02-15T13:50:12","slug":"brave-new-world-of-ubi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/devstagesite.co.uk\/smhgroup\/brave-new-world-of-ubi\/","title":{"rendered":"Brave new world of UBI?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If those three\nletters mean nothing to you now, they may do soon. <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Universal Basic Income (UBI) has become a topic attracting attention\namong some think-tanks and political parties, both in the UK and overseas. <\/strong>The idea behind UBI is\nsimple and has an obvious electoral appeal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In its most basic form, UBI would give every citizen a government paid\nregular cash income, subject to the most minimal of qualifications, eg 18 or\nover and not imprisoned. Millionaires and paupers, students, full time\nemployees and pensioners would all receive the same amount. In theory, UBI\noffers the opportunity to revise radically \u2013 or even abandon completely\u2013 the\nexisting support systems of means-tested social security benefits and tax\ncredits. In practice many UBI proposals recognise that that there would\nprobably need to be some additional benefits for people with disabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unsurprisingly, the question of whether UBI is affordable is a\ncontentious one. The corollary is whether what is affordable could be classed\nas a meaningful UBI. A good example of the affordability question emerged in a\nstructure recently put forward by the New Economic Foundation (NEF). This think\ntank suggested for the UK excluding Scotland: <\/p>\n\n\n\n