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An Emergency Universal Salary paid to all...
PieceOfMaria · 19/03/2020 11:27
Regardless of means.
The idea currently being mooted the government.
I have an issue with this, or at least with elements of it. I don’t need the money. My DHs industry may well be impacted in the long term like everybody’s, but in the short to medium term he can WFH and is being paid in full and that’s pretty unlikely to change due to the nature of his sector. Plus we have ample savings.
Plenty of people including many retired people on comfortable pensions with relatively few outgoings won’t need the money. People who already exist entirely on benefits could argue that they need more money, but they can’t really argue that the CV crisis has left them much worse off than they already were, with the possible exception of those whose children were getting free school meals and now won’t be.
The people who will REALLY REALLY need the money are most self employed people whose work will dry up overnight. Low to middle income working people who were only just managing to keep the plates spinning anyway and now must be feeling sick with worry about their finances. Many household name firms will potentially go under because of this. People who work in small businesses and services that are dependent on footfall and face to face interaction are extremely vulnerable right now and will be losing their jobs as we speak. Airline staff are now facing redundancy or long periods of unpaid leave.
I don’t want any money Boris. Please, please means test this, so there is more to go around for those who are genuinely going to struggle within weeks or even days. I’m not one of them. There will be hundreds of thousand of people who can say hand on heart that they are not one of them either.
tryingtoprep · 20/03/2020 16:49
@Xenia It's more that the money isn't enough for the essentials - food, rent or mortgage, bills. Housing benefit, for example, is often much less than rents. I think it was Gordon Brown who brought in rent caps (for the private rental sector). Osborne cut it further with the consequence that few landlords now let to tenants on benefits. That's why there's an increase in street homelessness. It also costs everybody (taxpayers) more because of paying for very expensive temporary accommodation for homeless families.
okiedokieme · 20/03/2020 16:53
I suppose it is going to be hard to target. I don't qualify for benefits because I earn a bit and my kids are students (only basic loan because I was married when they applied to student finance), but I lost about £400 a month in income this week so don't have enough to live on. Anything would be a help
EightNineTen · 20/03/2020 16:57
I've been an advocate for UBI for a long time.
If the Tories brought it in, short or long term, I'd be incredibly surprised. However, I'm willing to be surprised.
I imagine that UC will be expanded. And the 5 week wait reduced, although how the hell that will happen with the massive influx of new claimants fuck knows.
Yesterday's press conference gave a clue as to the way they were thinking. They just want people back working so that employers can sort it out.
Hippydoodledoo8 · 20/03/2020 23:32
It would be disastrous for us if this was means tested. DH is self employed higher earned, I had to give up work due to ill health, we have 2 DC, debts and no savings mainly due to his work being unreliable and me giving up work. We probably wouldn’t be entitled to anything.
DGRossetti · 22/03/2020 18:04
How much do you think the UI should be per month?
Enough to have shelter and food at a minimum ?
Who would qualify?
Not quite sure what part of "universal" is ambiguous ?
And how much will it fully cost?
Reverse the question. Can we afford it ?
part of the ideological horror of the Tories and that side of the debate over the concept of a Universal Income is that it would mean people would have a choice in the work they did, rather than being forced into it through threat of destitution.
I saw an interesting meme noting that while we are condemning panic buyers who are snapping up more toilet rolls than they need, we're also very comfortable with the existence of multi billionaires who have effectively just done the same thing, only on a grander scale.
Darbs76 · 22/03/2020 18:05
I don’t need it either. I am a civil servant and am able to work at home so will be paid as normal. I don’t want to profit from this. I’m already saving money with not using petrol / days out. I’m isolating for 12wks at least due to pre existing condition. I am continuing to pay my dog walker as she has had reduced business and I feel bad for her, plus I am genuinely busy at home, especially as home schooling starts tomorrow
DreamChaser23 · 22/03/2020 21:28
I am assuming it would only apply to adults 18 till death? That is what Andrew Yang the guy who tried to run for Democrat candidate in the UK.
So, in the UK adult wise we have over 50 million last time i read was around 53,000,000
53,000,000* £13000 a year (£1k every month) just under £700bn a year.
It would be nice definitely would cause a lot of help and economic benefits. But I doubt the government would do that if they spend just under £900bn a year on all spending currently.
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