Dr Simon Duffy gave this introductory talk on basic income at the UBI Lab Sheffield launch event and as part of the Festival of Debate.

1. Basic Income
some introductory notes

2. basic income means
every individual receives
a regular payment of
cash to live on

3. • There is no country where there is a full working basic income
system.
• There are and have been pilots of basic income around the world.
• Bits of our current system (state pension and child benefit) are
quite close to being a form of basic income.
• Social security for working age people has moved away from the
principles of basic income.
• There is an international campaign for basic income (e.g. BIEN
and Basic Income UK).
• Basic income is Green Party policy and John McDonnell has
expressed support for the idea in the past.

4. basic income is a radical
change to the social
security system
(ie tax and benefits)

5. basic income is different
• No means-testing (within the benefit itself) - universal
• No stigma and shame in claiming benefits - invisible
• No sanctions, you get it no matter what - unconditional
• No dependency, not family-based - individual
• Less confusing - simple(r)

6. basic income impact (?)
• Reduce poverty
• Improve health
• Improve work life
• End stigma
• Reduce suicides
• Reduce bureaucracy
• Increase solidarity
• Increase citizen action
• Improve life for carers
• Reduce domestic violence
• Improve learning

7. basic income in practice
• There is no agreed model or set level
• Housing subsidies may best be treated separately
• Attention will still need to be paid to disability costs
• It is not a replacement for existing public services
• Community support and responsibility are still important

8. basic income critics
Left-wing (e.g. NEF)
• It is better to give people
services than money
• It is a subsidy for bad
employers
• It will distract people from
fighting for employment rights
• It won’t be sensitive to differing
needs
Right-wing (e.g. JRF)
• It is not affordable
• It won’t be accepted
• It will discourage work
• It will encourage
dependence on the state

9. Benefits are not
government expenditure
they are part of a system
of redistribution
constrained by
political power

10. People generally do
not understand how
widespread benefits
already are…

11. how benefits are distributed

12. Nor, how unfair the
current system is,
e.g. the poorest
pay the most tax…

13. how taxes are distributed

15. In fact the real (after tax)
cost of benefits is
VERY LOW…

16. current redistribution

17. For the better off it is
effectively the equivalent
to the cost of
a cup of coffee…

19. The current system is not
just bad, it has also got
progressively worse, with
income being taken away
form the poorest…

21. If we really did
redistribute money
effectively then we could
eliminate poverty and
radically reduce
inequality…

22. 1. Reduce the income of richest 10% by 8.9%
to lift income of poorest 10% to level of second decile
and improve equality ratio to 1:5
2. Reduce the income of the richest 10% by 15.2%
to lift income of poorest 20% to level of third decile
and improve equality ratio to 1:4
3. Reduce the income of the richest 10% by 27%
to lift income of poorest 30% to level of fourth decile and
improve equality ratio to 1:3
what we could do instead

24. If we were prepared to
change the tax system then
it would not be hard to
come up with a
basic income system more
generous than the
current system

25. • Child Benefit (first) = £20.70 (£1,080)
• Pension = £125. 90 (£6,546)
• Basic Tax Credit = £37.70 (£1,960)
• JSA (over 25) = £73.10 (£3,800)
• Tax Allowance = £45.58 (£11,850 @20% = £2,370)
• ESA (support group) = £110.75 (£5,759)
• LHA (1 bed Sheffield) = £94.80 (£4,930)
some existing benefits

26. but some groups would
do better than other
groups and some people
would have to
pay more tax…

28. What will also help is if
we start to think
differently about
(1) economics (2) wealth
and (3) work…