Universal Basic Income means there is no point working hard

[Instamaticgreenery]

A conversation with my boyfriend this morning.

He's currently unemployed. He seems slightly reluctant to look for work and this was one of the reasons he gave. He said he'll earn the same as everyone else anyway when this comes in, and that everyone will earn the same, be it a doctor or a shop assistant, and we're living in modern slavery. Or we will be soon, as that's the way the world is going.

Could anyone enlighten me as to what he is talking about?!

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/mar/03/california-universal-basic-income-study

As others have said, he's an idiot - a lazy one at that.

It's highly unlikely that UBI will be introduced.

Even if it were, it would be at a "subsistence" level, and those who wanted any kind of life would need to get a job to "top up" the UBI to whatever level of income they needed to live the kind of life they wanted.

@catspider

What's the difference between UBI and UC? Surely they both either top up income or pay you if you aren't working. UBI is probably fairer if it means those who aren't entitled to benefits get something back from the tax they pay.

Except that taxes will have to rise to pay for UBI, so "workers" will probably be no better off - give with one hand, take with the other.

@ Kazzyhoward

All the proposals I've seen, have workers, low-earners and non-earners being better off.
e.g. VAT would only only increase for non-essential items.

If you removed the personal income tax allowance, as Labour suggested, to pay for a UBI, it's about £250 a month less, so UBI proposals at £600+ a month would mean "workers" would take home more.

It's a nice idea but surely wages and the cost of living will soon adjust so that people in low paid work are still living in poverty.

@Kazzyhoward

As others have said, he's an idiot - a lazy one at that.

It's highly unlikely that UBI will be introduced.

Even if it were, it would be at a "subsistence" level, and those who wanted any kind of life would need to get a job to "top up" the UBI to whatever level of income they needed to live the kind of life they wanted.

it would be at a "subsistence" level, and those who wanted any kind of life would need to get a job to "top up" the UBI to whatever level of income they needed to live the kind of life they wanted

@Kazzyhoward Yes, I agree. And I think that's how it's supposed to work. UBI pays for the basics and people are able to work for extra, but with a stable safety net that won't be taken away