£10,000 proposed for everyone under 55

ValiantSon

Zola. wrote: »

All seems a bit barmy to me, but I would gladly take the £ and invest it. Seems a step closer to communism. With all the offended people about these days with anything remotely controversial, we are maybe heading that way anyway :rotfl:

That isn't what communism is.

Communism has nothing to do with people taking offence at things.

colsten

For anyone interested in the actual report: https://www.thersa.org/globalassets/pdfs/reports/rsa_pathways-to-universal-basic-income-report.pdf

redux

mark1959 wrote: »

Well i'm offended.:eek: I'm over 55.:(

Presumably this scheme would or could also replace the state pension, so it does seem pretty odd to have a 10 or 12 year gap of people not qualifying.

BananaRepublic

greenglide wrote: »

The government chooses not to fund the NHS and emergency services as well as education etc.

There are lots of alternatives to the current austerity that the present government loves so much.

I am someone who tends to vote Tory and yet I cannot understand this governments obsession with reducing taxes. They should make well off middle class people like me pay more tax to fund this country. Yes we do need to reduce the deficit, but just cutting is not the answer.

LHW99

So how do those who have been on the UBI all their life manage once they hit 55? They won't get State Pension, and presumably won't have been able to put anything aside themselves.
So perhaps TBC15 has it right

Who says there will be any over 55s in this brave new world.

because they'll all have starved to death within 6 months of their 55th birthday.

kidmugsy

DrEskimo wrote: »

In other words, the question 'is UBI affordable?' is underspecified: it depends upon the specifics of the scheme, as well as what is meant by 'affordable'.

What a chump. In the end all such things become unaffordable because politicians bid them up in an attempt to win votes. All states in the end become insolvent and their fiat currencies become worthless. At least that's the way to bet. Put not your trust in princes.

antrobus

Zola. wrote: »

http://www.bbc.com/news/business-43078920

I don't understand this article. If the government cant afford to fund the NHS and other emergency services, how does it propose its going to give everyone £10k ?

I am probably being thick here.

No, you are considerably smarter than the twonks at the RSA.:)

TBC15

LHW99 wrote: »

So how do those who have been on the UBI all their life manage once they hit 55? They won't get State Pension, and presumably won't have been able to put anything aside themselves.
So perhaps TBC15 has it right

because they'll all have starved to death within 6 months of their 55th birthday.

Will never happen. The economics of Soylent Green production require a happy well fed 55yr old.

Bravepants

TBC15 wrote: »

Who says there will be any over 55s in this brave new world.

Ooh from Star Trek to Logan's Run! Scary!

Malthusian

LHW99 wrote: »

So how do those who have been on the UBI all their life manage once they hit 55?

The idea of a UBI that would stop at 55 is a very particular variant of the general principle of UBI. And as you've pointed out, a pretty stupid one.

In reality UBI and State Pension would be merged, and UBI would be payable until death.

The State Pension as we know it is essentially a UBI payable from late-middle-age. It is not means-tested and is payable to everyone regardless of income; it provides those on low incomes with the minimum necessary for a reasonable standard of living, and for the well-off it underpins their other income. General UBI simply extends the principle to other adults.