A few comments on this article as a member of this panel. A basic income that is not means-tested, that pays $18,000, where the beneficiary unit is the individual, the equivalence scale then 2, and where beneficiaries must be between 18-64, costs just over $54B a year https://twitter.com/VancouverSun/status/1260373168142929920

A basic income designed as a negative income tax, that pays $18,000, where the beneficiary unit is the family, the equivalence scale 1.4, a benefit reduction rate of 50%, and is paid to those 18-64 instead costs $10B a year. Details matter

The universal payment barely touches the poverty rate or depths of poverty, whereas the NIT makes huge strides in reducing both poverty rates and depths of poverty as it is better targeted for those objectives.

However, a key principle of basic income schemes is that they reduce stigma. Defining the beneficiary unit as the family means that we continue with audits on family formation which is at odds with reducing stigma

Women particularly are much more targeted to family formation audits because we assume as soon as a 'man' enters her house, he takes care of her, making her less deserving of income support.

If all we do is layer a so-called basic income on our current system which is at odds with many of the principles of a basic income, we are not in fact creating a basic income, we are simply creating a cash transfer. #notthesamething

Indeed some of the evidence suggests that there could be costs savings in terms of improving health and well being, but those savings are not going to magically materialize in year 1. Would I fund a BI by cutting $9B from health & criminal justice immediately? Nope, not a chance.

Does a BI of any form negate the need to fund general supplements like support for health costs, varying need due to disability or parenthood, or services like life skills, child care, training? No

Does a BI raise real concerns about financial literacy, access to financial services, addiction, organized crime & other less scrupulous people preying on recipients as we've seen with the CERB? Yes.

To be honest, the work incentives under a BI are one of the least of my worries. Not to say it is not important, but there are much bigger fish to fry before this one

Anyway, since this article is out there, if you want to play around with some BC BI models and understand some of the costs, benefits, issues, @GillianPetit has done up a great site with visuals http://bc-simulation.surge.sh/