Many arguments have been made for Universal Basic Income (UBI) in the debate of revovery from the pandemic. This think piece by Ian Gough makes the alternative case for Universal Basic Services (UBS) as more egalitarian and sustainable than UBI. Importantly, it argues, UBS is also politically more incremental and reformist than the case for a true UBI.

Universal Basic Services (UBS) is an alternative case to UBI.

Under UBS, the provision of free public services must go beyond health or education to cover other basic necessities (e.g., housing, care, transport, information, nutrition).

UBS can be more egalitarian with a strong redistributive performance and impact on income inequalities.

UBS can also be more sustainable by decarbonizing the economy in a just way - rather than disproportionally loading the costs on the lower income brackets - and by supporting sustainable consumption corridors.

  • Dharma Curious (he/him)@slrpnk.net
    3·
    4 months ago

    Another issue there is that anyone not poor can’t use public housing. It’s a means-tested program, and if you make too much money, you’re unable to use it. You have to be low income.

    • Prometheus@pagan.plus
      3·
      3 months ago

      @dharmacurious
      Most of our stuff is means tested, and not only that - the means test is based on a made up metric from nearly 80 years ago that has never been adequately adjusted to reflect modern healthcare, education, and transportation costs.

      In addition, the means testing doesn’t have gradual cutoffs, so once you hit the threshold you lose all of your benefits, which is just insane on its face. You don’t suddenly stop needing food or housing assistance because you get a ten cent raise. We should set the system up to encourage people to grow into self sufficiency, not punish them into a permanent underclass.
      @LesserAbe