Utrecht Considering Experiment With Universal Basic Income

[perplexed]

Hillsborough is a dependency of the Netherlends, a bit like the Channel Islands are of the UK but without all the tax dodgers and dodgy banks

 

And more dog turds...

[I1L2T3]

So take the money with one hand and hand it back with the other.

 

Only problem is, the overheads of such a system reduces the amount compared to just giving the tax break instead.

 

There's very little overhead - everybody gets the same so it couldn't be easier to administer

[Happ Hazzard]

Define "everybody".

[Mr Bloke]

No they won't, unlike the British we actually have a pretty well controlled system to prevent that sort of nonsense. I have been trying to explain that to people like you on this forum for what feels like a decade, but the message is clearly difficult to get across.

I really don't understand this idea at all.

 

So what's to stop non-local Dutch people moving to Utrecht just for the money?

 

More people means fewer vacant places to live in, which means higher rents etc.

 

So who exactly benefits from this?

[I1L2T3]

Define "everybody".

 

Everybody in Utrecht. It's universal. No means test. No minimum hours requirement. If you're a registered resident of the city you get the payment. Couldn't be simpler.

 

There are massive upsides to such a system.

[Happ Hazzard]

How do you become a "registered resident" of the city? Do you not think that a lot of people will want to move into the city to get the free money? Also areas just outside the city limit clamouring to get the borders redrawn so they can get the money too? It's madness. Sheer madness.

[I1L2T3]

I really don't understand this idea at all.

 

So what's to stop non-local Dutch people moving to Utrecht just for the money?

 

More people means fewer vacant places to live in, which means higher rents etc.

 

So who exactly benefits from this?

 

You are right, some people might move there but the money won't be huge amounts. All it does is guarantee a basic minimum existence and the whole point is people have to work as well. Nobody (or very few anyway) would give up a job and home in one place just to eek out an existence in another place on a minimal income.

 

It's like if say Bristol introduced this would you give up your home and job in Sheff so you could go down there and live life on what would effectively be the same as dole money now. Wouldn't do it would you.........

[Mr Bloke]

Everybody in Utrecht. It's universal. No means test. No minimum hours requirement. If you're a registered resident of the city you get the payment. Couldn't be simpler.

 

There are massive upsides to such a system.

Would you care to share them with us then?

 

Just noticed... you have!

[I1L2T3]

How do you become a "registered resident" of the city? Do you not think that a lot of people will want to move into the city to get the free money? Also areas just outside the city limit clamouring to get the borders redrawn so they can get the money too? It's madness. Sheer madness.

 

I don't know how they register residents in Holland. Others might know. I just explained in another post why people would not flock there for 'free' money.

 

It's not madness. Our current system is madness.

 

---------- Post added 27-06-2015 at 12:30 ----------

 

Would you care to share them with us then?

 

Just noticed... you have!

 

Just go any any site that describes the pros and cons of citizens income.

 

Educate yourself!!

[Happ Hazzard]

People WILL flock there for the free money. Just as people flock to the UK for the benefits here. You say it's the same as being on the dole, but with no conditions attached, AND if you get a job, you keep the money as well as your wages. So there's incentives there for both non-workers and workers to move there. I would bet everything I own that it won't work, that people will flock to Utrecht to get it, there won't be enough money to give everyone, and the whole scheme will collapse very quickly.