The success of CERB is proof a universal basic income is doable and beneficial

The Star

This is the season for a nationwide discussion about a universal basic income (UBI).

A UBI is a government payment that tops up family income so that it modestly exceeds the poverty line, or low-income threshold. As households are able to generate more income on their own, UBI payments are scaled back and eventually discontinued.

A UBI holds promise as our most powerful tool in eradicating poverty and solving the crisis of income inequality.

Canada is emerging from a successful experiment with a UBI, in the form of the Canada Emergency Relief Benefit (CERB). In keeping seven million Canadians financially whole after they’d lost their jobs due to COVID-19, the CERB prepared the country to embark on the powerful economic recovery on the horizon.

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