Minimum Income Standards in the Basic Income Debate

This chapter describes the current debate as to whether a Basic Income should be defined as an unconditional income sufficient to live on (somehow defined) or simply as an unconditional income. A distinction is drawn between Basic Income as an unconditional income, and a Basic Income scheme, which specifies the levels of Basic Income for different age groups, and any associated changes to existing tax and benefits systems. Two different ways of employing the term ‘adequacy’ are discussed: (1) A Basic Income might be described as adequate if the Basic Income itself was enough to live on (somehow defined); and (2) A Basic Income scheme might be described as adequate if every household had a net income—made up from individuals’ Basic Incomes and other sources of income—that was sufficient to live on (somehow defined). Examples are given of both approaches. ‘Sufficient to live on’ is then defined in terms of Minimum Income Standards, and it is shown that a Basic Income set at Minimum Income Standard levels would be infeasible in a number of respects, but that a Basic Income scheme that required that household net incomes should reach Minimum Income Standard levels could be more feasible.