People could receive €250 weekly payment with ‘no conditions’ - ‘This is a beautiful idea’

By Simon Bourke, Wexford People

The authors of a report which outlines how every person in Ireland could receive a weekly payment of up to €250 “with no conditions” have presented their plans at a meeting in Wexford town.

Under the Universal and Unconditional Basic Income (UBI) all those living in the State would receive a payment, at “a rate equivalent to the jobseekers’ allowance”, with “no net cost” to national finances. Accepting that there may be some resistance to this proposal, Bobby Lambert of Basic Income Ireland pointed to a detailed plan which explains how the system would work.

“A common response is ‘great idea, but how could we afford it?’,” he said. “To answer this, Basic Income Ireland has produced a detailed report showing how such a UBI, could be implemented with no net cost to the state finances.

“Under this model six out of seven people would benefit financially. with those on low or no incomes benefitting the most. Everyone would benefit from the security, solidarity and dignity provided. In addition, it would help ‘make work pay’, eliminating the current means-tested benefit trap which effectively penalises people for taking up paid work.”

Citing children’s allowance as a precedent, Mr Lambert said the Basic Incomes for the Arts scheme was another example of how this payment could work.

“Universal and Unconditional Basic Income is a beautiful idea whose time has come,” he said. “The model developed by John Baker and Dave Quinn shows that this beautiful idea is both affordable and can be implemented now, with few institutional changes.”

To learn more about UBI, visit basicincome.ie