What is Basic Income?
A Universal Basic Income (Basic Income Guarantee) is an unconditional cash payment to individuals sufficient to meet basic needs (Universal Basic Income New Zealand, 2003).
In its simplest form, Van Der Veen (1998) described Basic Income as a proposal ‘to disburse a tax-free subsistence income to every adult citizen, whether he or she is employed or unemployed, wealthy or poor, healthy or sick, active or idle, and…young or old, with basic incomes [including] children replacing existing child benefits’ (p. 141).
Visit Items of Interest for general information on Basic Income, and BIGA's Historical Items Section to see many early Australian and international articles on the Basic Income debate. Browse by Author is an extensive list on this BIGA site, and all publications are printable and accessible.
To keep with the Australian flavour of our site - a glorious sunset over Lake Eucumbene in the Snowy Mountains District of New South Wales.
Photo courtesy of John Tomlinson
As part of a six-chapter dissertation on Universal Income Support, Allan McDonald gives some insight into what a basic income is, and what it can do for people.
- Benefits of Universal Income Support Free of Means Test.
- The Basic Solution to Unemployment
- A Background Paper on Basic Income
by Philippe Van Parijs, as presented on the Oasis-Australia Home Page.
More short articles describing the Universal Basic Income
A large number of descriptive items on the Basic Income may be accessed at Items of Interest.
Remember to also access Browse by Author for access to hundreds of published articles on BIGA and Browse Historical Notes
Additional material is always being collated or awaiting copyright permission for this page, so do visit often for new material.