Reply to post: Instead of UBI

Instead of UBI

Everyone should be continually (Monthly) assessed for benefits so that in the event they are needed the work of assessment is already done and only the changes need be considered.

Those that need benefits should receive cash if they:

Have been in employment longer than they have been in receipt of benefits

Have paid income tax & NI for more than 20 years

Are not in arrears to utilities, landlords or anything that may cause them to lose their home.

Everyone else and those that have been on benefits for more than 5 years in the last 8 should:

only get access to credits held in a benefit account and only accessible while using a benefits card which only permits essential purchases and limited non essentials like booze or fags. Essentials like rent & utilities are to be paid directly to the service providers, the smaller their bills the more they can spend on non-essentials. They can only spend at places that are registered with HMRC. If they want cash then they need to work in order to earn cash from their employers.

Everyone will know where they are with respect to accessing state benefits. Tax payers will know that claimants won’t starve or lose their homes. Claimants will be incentivised to work in order to access cash that they can spend where and on whatever they want.

It’ll be like a UBI except those that don’t need it won’t get it and those that do will only receive it to be spent on essentials.