5 principles for a basic income (PDF)
Disability Action Hall’s hope for a Basic Income
(Based on the
Basic Income Calgary’s Principles)
To learn more about these principles, please visit https://basicincomecalgary.ca/about/
Be universal (For all)
· It is for everyone
Be available to all legal residents of Canada, not necessarily tied to residence. (for individuals who are not able to secure a home and are accessing an emergency shelter and/or emergency housing)
Be
adequate (Be enough)
·
The
benefit indexed to inflation and adjusted quarterly.
·
It
has generous income exemption allowance like AISH so people have an incentive
to work.
·
The
benefit works on a sliding scale if you have a job (like Calgary’s Low-Income Transit
Pass)
·
The
benefit is not taxable (like GIS) what you receive is what you get to keep.
Be
Individual
On an
individual basis and every individual should get it. (If you are a couple you
both should get the full benefit-not blended, not based on family income and then
create barriers for relationships or empower people who are leaving an abusive
relationship to leave without fear).
Be complementary (Works with services and supports)
It will work
with social safety net programs as people need more than income to address
other barriers to poverty, such as training, education, health care/pharma care,
childcare benefit and social housing/rent control/housing subsidies.
Be a step forward
It works in
concert with other provincial programs. It is not a step backwards to ensure
people are not worse off than before.
