4 ms·

> what is to stop people from wasting their basic income on frivolities while also drawing from existing welfare programs > a UBI, on top of existing welfare p

• zardo 11y ago
  You would still need programs for people with mental and emotional problems, but that would be a small subset of current welfare recipients. And with far fewer people to focus on, we might be more effective with that care. So, yeah if you spend your year's stipend on a week in a Hilton suite, then can't afford to eat, you might get additional help, and lose complete control over your BI. I knew a homeless guy in Anchorage that did this with his PFD and disability money. He needed more help than a check every month.
  • manarth 11y ago
    > if you spend your year's stipend on a week in a Hilton suite Most countries pay benefits on a weekly/monthly basis. Perhaps not to avoid this precise scenario, but simply to aid budgeting. You're right to say that some people might blow all their welfare cheque in one go. In the UK, that was at one point mitigated by paying housing benefit (the largest part of welfare) directly to the landlord, which at least minimised the chances of the tenant being evicted for not paying rent. That however has changed not that long ago, and a lot of other protections have also been withdrawn. I think UBI is a good idea, but I also think it could use some protections to address issues that might be faced by more vulnerable claimants.