UBI stands for Universal Basic Income, which is a type of social policy that provides a regular and unconditional cash payment to every citizen, regardless of their income, employment, or other criteria¹. UBI is being debated in Canada at various levels of government, but it has not been implemented as a national program yet.

At the federal level, there have been some initiatives to explore the idea of UBI. In February 2021, Member of Parliament Julie Dzerowicz introduced Bill C-273, the first ever bill towards a national Guaranteed Basic Income. The bill would require the Finance Minister to create a national strategy for UBI, including potential partnerships with provinces and territories, and to support dedicated research on the impacts and benefits of UBI². However, the bill was terminated when the 44th General Election was called on August 15, 2021².

At the provincial and territorial level, there have been some experiments and proposals to test or implement UBI. For example:

• In 2017, Ontario launched a three-year pilot project to provide UBI to 4,000 low-income residents in three communities. However, the pilot was cancelled in 2018 by the new Conservative government before it could be completed or evaluated³.
• In 2018, Prince Edward Island passed a motion to request the federal government to collaborate with the province on a UBI pilot project. However, the federal government did not respond to the request⁴.
• In 2020, British Columbia’s NDP government commissioned a panel of experts to study the feasibility and implications of UBI in the province. The panel released its final report in March 2021, which concluded that UBI was not the best way to address poverty and inequality in BC, and recommended other reforms instead.
• In 2020, Yukon’s Liberal government announced its intention to work with the federal government and other partners to develop a UBI pilot project in the territory. However, the project has not been launched yet.

As you can see, UBI is being debated in Canada Parliament or any of the provinces or territories, but there is no consensus or commitment on how to design or implement it across the country. If you want to learn more about UBI in Canada, you can use the web search results I provided to find more information. 😊

UBI works differently in different countries, depending on the design and implementation of the program. However, the basic idea of UBI is to provide a regular and unconditional cash payment to every citizen, regardless of their income, employment, or other criteria. Here are some examples of how UBI works in other countries:

• Finland: Finland conducted a two-year pilot project from 2017 to 2018, in which 2,000 randomly selected unemployed people received a monthly payment of €560 (about US$670) without any conditions or obligations. The aim was to test whether UBI could increase employment and well-being among the participants. The results showed that UBI had a positive impact on the recipients’ mental health, trust, and confidence, but did not significantly improve their employment prospects¹.

• Iran: Iran implemented a nationwide UBI program in 2010, in which every Iranian citizen received a monthly cash transfer of about 29% of the median household income. The program was funded by the revenues from the reduction of subsidies on fuel and bread. The program was intended to compensate for the higher prices of goods and services and to reduce poverty and inequality. The program had mixed effects on the economy and society. On one hand, it reduced poverty and increased health care and education spending among the poor. On the other hand, it increased inflation and reduced labor supply among some groups².

• Kenya: Kenya is hosting one of the largest and longest-running UBI experiments in the world, led by a nonprofit organization called GiveDirectly. The experiment started in 2016 and will last for 12 years, involving more than 20,000 people in rural villages. The participants receive different amounts and durations of cash transfers, ranging from a one-time lump sum to a monthly payment for 12 years. The goal is to measure the long-term impacts of UBI on various aspects of human development, such as health, education, entrepreneurship, and social cohesion³.

These are some examples of how UBI works in other countries. However, there are many more countries that have discussed, proposed, or experimented with UBI in various forms and scales. If you want to learn more about UBI in other countries, you can use the web search results I provided to find more information. 😊

UBI stands for Universal Basic Income, which is a type of social policy that provides a regular and unconditional cash payment to every citizen, regardless of their income, employment, or other criteria¹. UBI has been proposed as a way to reduce poverty, inequality, and the effects of automation on jobs and income. However, UBI also faces many criticisms from different perspectives. Some of the criticisms of UBI are:

• UBI is too expensive and impractical to implement. UBI would require a massive increase in public spending and taxation, which could create fiscal deficits, inflation, and debt problems. UBI would also require a radical overhaul of the existing welfare system, which could create administrative and political challenges²³.
• UBI undermines work ethic and productivity. UBI could reduce the incentive and motivation to work, especially for low-skilled and low-paid workers, who might prefer to live off the basic income rather than seek employment or education. UBI could also reduce the supply and quality of labor, which could harm economic growth and innovation²³⁴.
• UBI is unfair and inefficient. UBI would give the same amount of money to everyone, regardless of their needs, contributions, or circumstances. UBI would also waste resources on people who do not need it, such as the rich or the idle, while neglecting those who need more support, such as the disabled, the elderly, or the sick²³⁴⁵.
• UBI is not a solution to the root causes of social problems. UBI would not address the structural and systemic issues that create poverty, inequality, and unemployment, such as discrimination, exploitation, corruption, or environmental degradation. UBI would also not provide other essential public goods and services, such as health care, education, or infrastructure²³⁴⁵.

These are some of the criticisms of UBI. However, there are also many arguments in favor of UBI, as well as variations and alternatives to the basic idea. If you want to learn more about UBI, you can use the web search results I provided to find more information. 😊

Some of the benefits of UBI are:

• UBI ensures a minimum standard of income for everyone, regardless of their income, employment, or other criteria. This could help reduce poverty, inequality, and the effects of automation on jobs and income¹²³.
• UBI respects the autonomy and dignity of individuals, who can choose how to spend their money according to their needs and preferences. This could also encourage people to pursue education, entrepreneurship, or other activities that could benefit themselves and society¹²³.
• UBI relieves the financial stress and anxiety of people who are struggling to make ends meet or facing uncertain economic conditions. This could improve their mental health, well-being, and happiness¹²³.
• UBI simplifies the existing welfare system, which is often complex, costly, and bureaucratic. UBI could reduce administrative overhead, fraud, and stigma associated with means-tested benefits¹²³.
• UBI stimulates the economy by increasing consumer spending and demand. UBI could also create a multiplier effect, as more money circulates in the economy and generates more income and jobs¹²³.