Universal Basic Income.

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It's an idea whose time has come to many; anathema to many others. Government responses to the pandemic have heightened interest in the subject.

The concept of universal basic income (UBI) or variations appeal to people at various points on the political spectrum, but could an income support scheme possibly be universal, adequate to live on and affordable? Or is it a utopian distraction from the hard policy graft of allocating scarce tax dollars to those most in need? Alternatively, are there elements of UBI which could usefully guide post-pandemic welfare reform?