Universal basic income to be trialled

[glenimp617]

UBI is a tax tool to combat wealth inequality. If wealth and income were much more equal then there wouldn't be as much need for UBI.

I'm not sure it's going to be that easy though. You can't fix it by giving people free money. What happens if house prices stay where they are, or even get more expensive. Do you just keep bumping up UBI? Where does it end?

The government needs to look at how GDP is being created and act on that. If one company is making a shed load of profit by robots, and another one by employing hundreds of people they need taxing differently.

Maybe linking house prices to the average wage would be a starting point.

 

[Hagar]

Great doubles my pension. Everybody would be coming here for free money, bad.

Sounds a bit commie to me.

 

[robfosters]

Are you seriously suggesting the business world is not much more efficient now with the advent of computers and the internet? When I started work there were no computers. I can do the same work now in half an hour that previously would have taken half a day

Can you imagine how monotonous it must have been to be an accountant before computers and excel?

 

[dlockers]

well, what is your solution then?
UBI doesn't hide inequality, it pro-actively reduces it

It doesn't at all, it just "moves" it - it would also eradicate several low paying jobs. Why would you work 40 hours a week for an extra 5k net? lol.

 

[glenimp617]

I should just add, I'm not against UBI. In fact I'm in favour of it. I'm saying it's a small part of a bigger solution.

 

[dlockers]

Can you imagine how monotonous it must have to have been to be an accountant before computers and excel?

One of the first super computers supported by 6 people displaced an autistic man who did the entire payroll in his head.

 

[Efour]

F financial equality.

It's a ridiculous dream.
Northern Europe seems to have a fairly good grip of it as it is. There are plenty of other ways to tax and redistribute.
There are so many other things in society that need to be achieved and realized before this.
I dunno why this gets under my skin so much

 

[Mrwong]

well, what is your solution then?
UBI doesn't hide inequality, it pro-actively reduces it

Why would you need it?
How will it reduce inequality if everyone gets it.
It would increase inequality.

 

[Dirk Diggler]

Great doubles my pension. Everybody would be coming here for free money, bad.

Sounds a bit commie to me.

This is the British mentality; see an upside for yourself and approve, but immediately see an upside for someone else so let's call the whole thing off.

I honestly don't think our culture has room for something like this, we're far more conformable seeing huge corporations and wealthy individuals syphon cash from us, we just can't cope with the thought of some undeserving individual benefiting. This is why the thread has mostly focused on how much it's costing, who's going to have to pay etc..

 

[Tom_ed1987]

Not sure I understand the point of the trial.
Surely the results are pretty obvious - people will claim to be happier and less stressed, one or two might reduce hours or give up work, those that take up healthy hobby like an allotment/volunteer or similar will be given the focus, there will be a very minor disagreement on whether it being truly universal is 'fair', and any analysis will end with a "but....cost of wider rollout means it won't happen" and that will be it???

 

[mid_gen]

I imagine the UBI benefit will be claimed back if you earn over 19.2k by taxing the first 19.2k of employee pay at 100%.

That's not how it works, because that would be spectacularly stupid.

But it's horse feathers.
You'll be paying £5 for a packet of crisps within days.

It functions only if the state controls everything and everyone is playing the the same game by the same rules.
If everyone gets that payment the basics go up to to the max of that payment overnight.

It can work I'm sure but not by the same rules as today

There's no extra money in the economy.

Why would demand for basics go up? There'll be a little uplift as people that were previously really struggling on food banks will be able to buy their own, but it's not necessarily inflationary.

 

[Mercenary Keyboard Warrior]

That's not how it works, because that would be spectacularly stupid.

There's no extra money in the economy.

Why would demand for basics go up? There'll be a little uplift as people that were previously really struggling on food banks will be able to buy their own, but it's not necessarily inflationary.

There would be some expectation of some items going up in demand. Those who are eating or heating for example should be able to afford both.
Its a relatively minor amount as it only applies to the poorest (maybe 10%) in society.

The simple version of the equation with a UBI is that carrot + stick needs to = requirement for labour in the economy.

I mentioned earlier but to my mind UBI would be location dependent, but it would fail to cover the costs in the most expensive areas.

I think the numbers being talked abut here are too high personally. But as ever one persons minimum income would vary from anothers.

 

[glenimp617]

That's actually cheaper than a few weeks ago, I think it was £7 for the 200g jar

 

[Ayahuasca]

It'll soon drop when nobody needs it to function at work anymore

 

[dlockers]

That's not how it works, because that would be spectacularly stupid.

There's no extra money in the economy.

Why would demand for basics go up? There'll be a little uplift as people that were previously really struggling on food banks will be able to buy their own, but it's not necessarily inflationary.

You post like you know what it is but just berate people. Why not share how you think it may work?

 

[glenimp617]

It'll soon drop when nobody needs it to function at work anymore

haha, bloody good point!!!!!

 

[Deleted member 77746]

I've stopped buying anything now if prices have increased massively.

Not that just me alone will make a difference but if more stopped buying certain things that we just really probably don't need then something might have to be done about it.

 

[glenimp617]

I've stopped buying anything now were prices have increased.

Not that just me alone will make a difference but if more stopped buying certain things that we just really probably don't need.

Heinz are bad, they've jacked their prices up by a silly amount

and as for walkers crisps......stopped buying them months ago

 

[glenimp617]

Hypothetical question....

Let's say everyone has had enough. What would the government do if everyone suddenly decided to stop working? Maybe for a few days every month, but on the same day. Literally the entire country went on strike?

 

[413x]

I've stopped buying anything now were prices have increased.

Not that just me alone will make a difference but if more stopped buying certain things that we just really probably don't need.

Found that for us, food has been a big cost increase.
We buy no branded products. So can't drop to own brand to save. I am shocked at cost of stuff like hienz and that people who aren't well Off still buy it!