Category: Basic Income

What if … the state provided a proper safety net for all of its citizens? Most people would agree that this is indeed the state’s role, yet the failings of the current system can be seen all around us. Think of those evicted from their homes for non-payment of rent or mortgage, those queuing at food banks and soup kitchens, those who wish to go out to work but cannot due to prohibitive childcare fees: the list goes on.

Although it is most definitely not a panacea for all of society’s ills, an unconditional/universal/citizen’s basic income/grant – call it what […]

Full Post at www.whitebarn.info

A basic income plan for P.E.I. would assistance from the federal government, says the province. (CBC) The time is ripe to start moving away from current welfare models and towards a basic income for Canadians, says former Conservative Senator Hugh Segal.

Former P.E.I. premier Robert Ghiz said in 2014 he supported trying a basic income on P.E.I., and the current government has told CBC News it still supports the idea. There is no evidence that a basic income is a disincentive to work, says Hugh Segal. (CBC) Segal has written a plan for a basic income pilot project for Ontario, […]

Full Post at www.cbc.ca

Malcolm Torry, director of the UK’s Citizen’s Income Trust (CIT) and co-secretary of BIEN, has prepared a report on implementing a citizen’s income (i.e. a basic income for UK citizens) for the Institute for Chartered Accountants of England and Wales (ICAEW). Malcolm Torry (picture: Citizen’s Income Trust) In a report written for ICAEW’s opinion column, its “ Outside Insights “ series, Torry develops four different proposals to implement a basic income guarantee wherein weekly cash grants are disbursed in equal amounts to all adult UK citizens. (As mentioned below, however, two of the proposals recommend that the government move […]

Full Post at basicincome.org

About 25 years ago, when internet emerged, I addressed an audience saying: “If newspapers [didn’t already] exist today” there is “no way investors or bankers would support the business-idea to collect news, print it on paper around midnight and dispatch this printed stuff using thousands of vehicles to bring it to shops and individual readers before morning comes”.

In most western countries, social security became significant approximately 70 years ago, when it got an extensive legal basis. It now plays a crucial role in developed countries to give purchasing power to citizens who do not have an income from a […]

Full Post at basicincome.org

Basic income consultation Hamilton Spectator

Enough with the consultations — that was the message anti-poverty activists had for Ontario’s social services minister, who was in town to hear public views on a basic income pilot project.

The Liberal government has held consultations on social assistance reform since 2008, says Mike Balkwill, of Put Food in the Budget Campaign.Social justice advocates have participated, only to be disappointed each time by government inaction, he added."It’s just shameful, really," added Sally Palmer, of the local Ontario Association of Social Workers social action committee. "I used to be more hopeful, but with this issue, I’m […]

Full Post at www.thespec.com

Universal Basic Income (UBI), is certainly a popular panacea right now. Most of the progressive websites have featured sympathetic articles on the topic, usually combined with worker-owned collectives as the "socialist" alternative. The UBI (or Citizen’s Income) should be relatively a cheap reform. For those in work, it turns into a tax rebate, up to the value of the citizen’s income. Anyone paid enough to pay more tax than the income would then subsidise the unemployed. The state then abolishes all other welfare benefits, since the citizens’ income gets declared to be enough to live on (and it would […]

Full Post at socialist-courier.blogspot.com

Jamie Cooke of the Royal Society of Arts Scotland believes the pilot scheme is an exciting opportunity for Scotland SCOTLAND could be the first part of the British Isles to run a universal basic income pilot after the scheme won huge support from participants in an anti-poverty initiative in a local council area.

Work to develop a trial in Fife is to be discussed this Friday at a meeting between councillors, Scottish Government civil servants and members of the Scottish Basic Income Network which campaigns for the introduction of the system.

Under UBI, or citizen’s income, welfare benefits such as child […]

Full Post at www.thenational.scot

Universal benefit would reduce cost of bureaucracy and welfare system, conference hears

Dr Seán Healy director of Social Justice Ireland said: “(Basic income) has the potential to reduce bureaucracy dramatically and increase respect for care work while promoting entrepreneurship and engagement with education, among other things.” File photograph: Eric Luke/The Irish Times The payment of a “basic income” allowance to everyone in Ireland regardless of means would reduce the cost of bureaucracy and potentially eliminate most of the social welfare system, a conference was told on Tuesday.

Basic income is a policy approach that espouses the benefits of providing […]

Full Post at www.irishtimes.com

An international conference has heard a proposal for a Basic Income of €150 a week for everyone of working age in Ireland to resolve welfare and work challenges in the country.

Basic Income is a payment from the State to every resident on an individual basis, without any means test or work requirement. A full Basic Income would be sufficient to live a "frugal but decent lifestyle" without supplementary income from paid employment, according to the conference.

Details were provided of experiments in Finland at a national level and in the Netherlands, focused on 12 cities, at the conference organised by […]

Full Post at www.irishexaminer.com

Switzerland votes no to a guaranteed basic income – exit poll

Vote is a “popular initiative”

Public funding and asylum applications also on the ballot What is happening?An exit poll suggests Swiss voters have overwhelmingly rejected a proposal to introduce a guaranteed national income.78% of voters questioned say they have rejected the plan to provide a basic level of income for everyone in the country, whether working or not.Plans to streamline and speed up the asylum process – another key issue in Sunday’s referendum – have been approved by 66% of those taking part.The projections have been made by the GFS […]

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