I hated my job, but I couldn't leave because of my huge mortgage. I had also been there a long time so I was on top whack too. My work was specialised, so I would have had to travel for two hours or more each way if I wanted to leave, plus it would have been the same horrible job, just somewhere else.
I had a Higher National Certificate (HNC) in electronics, so I knew quite a bit about computers, but the course was mainly theoretical (technical), not practical. With the Basic Income I could have done a practical course too, and maybe something else as well.
I had a terrific HNC with awards, but no one would give me a job as I lacked experience. I was an electrical engineer, not an electronic engineer, but wages are very low in electronics anyway. I studied electronics because I liked the science.
So, would the Basic Income have helped me to live while I retrained in programming, or something else? Yes, but only if the Basic Income was not allowed to be used for getting a mortgage. But what about in the excerpt below where it says it could be used by homeless people to get a home? That sounds good.
But if people use the Basic Income to buy a bigger house, then property prices will go up and the bankers, landlords, and established home owners will get the extra money instead, and so, in the end, first time buyers and those struggling up the ladder would be no better off, and society would be no better off either.
I always hated the British obsession with property, as high house prices have only ever made me poor. Despite earning a top wage for a skilled person, I never seemed to have enough money because so much of it was always going out on the mortgage.
My house may be worth a bit today, but to get the money I would have to live a long way from friends and family. And my GP advised me against it, saying she had seen too many people regret leaving their relatives and old friends behind, plus the local services that older people tend to need more.
I still one day might move to the coast, though, as I have an old friend in Hastings. To spend my last years cycling around Hastings, while getting into watercolours and photography, plus the odd pub, or two: heaven!
Entrepreneurship – a UBI has the potential to stimulate entrepreneurship and the willingness of people to take career risks such as starting a new business.
Student support – addresses the need for student finance and to support students during their studies
Social Care – we have a social care crisis in the UK. A UBI supports people who choose to stay at home to care for loved ones.
Maternity – a UBI could support new mothers and helps address the financial hardship often associated with maternity leave
Homelessness – a guaranteed regular income for the homeless could provide basic needs and may provide them with the ability to rebuild their lives.
Employment rights and empowerment – a safety net of a UBI protects employees from unscrupulous employers and being forced to remain in jobs or roles they hate
Harry Green - Safety nets have holes – the need for a Universal Basic Income…
If rules are needed about what the money can be spent on, then another approach is needed. Some countries offer free tuition, or apprenticeships. A job guarantee could have tided you over until you found an entry level in electronics.
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