Pay everyone in the United Kingdom £100 a week
Imagine a Britain where the government paid every adult the basic cost of living. Whether
rich or poor – or, crucially, whether in paid employment or not – everyone would receive the
same weekly amount, with no strings attached. The harsh, punitive model of modern
“welfare” would be a
distant memory; moving in and out of employment in
the so-called gig
economy
1
would then be something everyone could afford.
The positive consequences would extend into the distance: all women would be financially
independent and able to exit
abusive relationships, public health would improve, and people
could devote the time to caring for the elderly that an ever-ageing
society increasingly
demands. Just as the welfare state underpinned the 20
th
century, so would the basic income
define the 21
st
century.
Please respond to the following task in approximately 200 to 250 words:
An unconditional basic income (UBI), otherwise known as citizens’ income or
social wage,
would make us unproductive. Do you agree or disagree? Why?
1
A gig economy is an environment in which temporary jobs are common and organisations contract with
independent workers for short-term engagements.
