Universal basic income won’t fix problems but will create new ones

By FRANK FIELD

THE welfare state plays host to the most dysfunctional relationship in British politics. The main source of conflict is the ongoing attempt by politicians at balancing four competing objectives: providing an adequate minimum income that protects the poor from destitution; incentivising that same group of citizens to get a job and climb up the pay ladder, so they eventually achieve financial independence; simplifying the means of administering this system; and limiting the size of the resulting bill that taxpayers are asked to meet.

UBI … is heading for the rocks.