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No sarcasm intended here: Is the highest abstracted benefit of Universal basic income (other than the benefit to those that receive the basic income) that you c
by irln 10y ago
No sarcasm intended here: Is the highest abstracted benefit of Universal basic income (other than the benefit to those that receive the basic income) that you cut out the middle person in social welfare distribution?
- AngrySkillzz 10y agoPartly. As an example, well-intentioned midcentury relief workers did a lot of damage to minority communities (like you see in Malcolm X's autobiography). Eliminating means testing and data collection saves money and is significant for the people involved in the program. There are a lot of labor market benefits as well; one of the big problems with means-tested programs is that they screw up the tax structure at the low end of the income scale. If your options are being jobless receiving welfare or getting a job that forces you out of welfare, there's a large disincentive to seek work. You would be paying an effective tax rate of ~100% by losing that payment.
- transfire 10y agoIt also removes the stigma of welfare b/c everyone is getting the same thing regardless of income and status.
- fasteddie 10y agoFurther, beyond streamlining operations, it also allows people to spend on what they need/want the most. Today, if you would rather have less housing vouchers and more food stamps? Too bad. UBI would allow people to spend their "basic living" money in the best way they see fit.
- surfaceTensi0n 10y agoI would say that cutting out the middle person is part of how you pay for UBI. To me the highest benefit of UBI is that people wouldn't need to work/struggle to live anymore.