Bill C-233 for Unconditional Basic Income has been introduced in the federal parliament to develop a national framework for guaranteed livable basic income. To find out more information and sign a petition to support Bill C-233 check out this link http://Bills S-233 and C-223 for Unconditional Basic Income in Canada (ubiworks.ca)
How high should a livable BIG be set? (GLI and BIG are essentially the same)
Since the purpose of a BIG is to address income insecurity and poverty, the guarantee should be set at or above the poverty line. There are a number of ways to define that line. Three that Statistics Canada uses are the Low Income Cut Off (LICO), the Low Income Measure (LIM), and the Market Basket Measure (MBM). All are adjusted for family size. But since they are calculated in differing ways, each can be applied easily to some regions/communities but not to others, and they render up different poverty rates. As a result, experts disagree which to use for what purposes, although Canada recently adopted the MBM as its official poverty line. With respect to basic income, the best measure to use will depend on various aspects of the ultimate design. As can be seen from the Parliamentary Budget Office’s 2021 report, basic income has the potential to completely transform the rate of poverty in Canada. To be effective, the benefit level of a livable national BIG must be high enough to lift everyone out of poverty.
Stay tuned in the coming weeks for more Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).