A Debate on Universal Basic Income

A universal basic income would provide a safety net that is both simple and dignified.

Simple, perhaps, but the fiscal implications would be nothing short of staggering.

Not necessarily, since it would replace a labyrinth of overlapping welfare schemes.

Even so, I'm unconvinced that a flat payment addresses the diverse needs of vulnerable people.

Pilot studies have found little evidence that recipients withdraw from the labour market.

Those pilots were short-lived and small-scale, so extrapolating from them is precarious.

Granted, but automation may soon render our current arrangements untenable anyway.

Then let's invest in retraining people, rather than resigning ourselves to their redundancy.