Social Europe has published an article ‘Why should governments give cash-handouts before providing free, quality public services to all?’ by Rosa Pavanelli.
… Until we manage to dramatically increase public revenue—something which the mega-rich have been fighting tooth and nail—then it is clear any UBI programme would necessitate huge cuts to key public services. … The fact is free public services, such as health and education, are one of the strongest weapons in the fight against inequality. They benefit everyone in society, but the poorest most of all.
First of all, it is simply not true that ‘any UBI programme would necessitate huge cuts to public services’. There are perfectly feasible illustrative Citizen’s Basic Income schemes that would not require any cuts at all.
Secondly, we entirely agree that we need good quality ‘free public services, such as health and education’, and we also agree that they are ‘one of the strongest weapons in the fight against inequality. They benefit everyone in society, but the poorest most of all’.
The same is true of Citizen’s Basic Income, of course. The perfectly feasible illustrative scheme already referenced would both reduce inequality and ‘benefit everyone in society, but the poorest most of all’.
A more balanced view from the New Economics Foundation, that recognises that the combination of Citizen’s Basic Income and good public services would make a useful package, can be found in a recent article by Andrew Pendleton.