Coronavirus: How a UBI can help New Zealand

Friday, 3 April 2020

OPINION: The rise of the Covid-19 coronavirus has changed the rules for everyone. Many people have been asked to work from home, or work has stopped completely because of the type of job they do.

Many people live from payday to payday, and this applies to folks right across the financial spectrum. Uncertainty is the new normal.

Not knowing where or when your next pay is coming from is incredibly stressful. How can you eat if you don't have money? What happens if someone gets sick? How will rent/mortgages be paid? This is where a universal basic income (UBI) can be a lifesaver.

New Zealand currently has one UBI in the form of superannuation. People aged 65 and older, if they fit the criteria, get a regular minimum fortnightly payment of $822.30 into their bank account (this is the single after-tax rate – couples get $632.54 each after tax).

This is paid out regardless of your asset base, and those who don't need it can choose not to receive it. As a result New Zealand's older population have some form of financial security because they know that every fortnight their pension will be paid into their accounts.

It's time we extended that further.

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The current circumstances faced by New Zealand are unprecedented, but we can't afford to stand still when lives are at risk.

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In 1946 New Zealand introduced universal family benefit payments. It was set at 10 shillings per child, per week, and they were paid to the mother to ensure she had some money to spend on the children.

It was paid from birth to the age of 16, and became the lifeline of many families. My mother was able to capitalise (get a bulk payment) the first five years of my three brothers' family benefit to use as part of a deposit on our family home. It was seen as an essential contribution to the house and land purchase.

When my eldest daughter was born, I received $6 per week for her benefit and I was able to capitalise her first year as a deposit on a washing machine, but by the time her sisters were born, the family benefit was gone. It was cancelled in 1991, and replaced with income-related tax credits.

UBIs provided certainty for people. Knowing that money was coming in enabled people to eat and save for much needed items or for emergencies. Banks were confident to lend, and people were able to get ahead.

Introducing a wider UBI would provide financial security for all the community, not just those living in poor households. It would also financially acknowledge the work that, up until now, has gone unrecognised and unpaid.

For those living in households where domestic violence is a factor, stress levels will have increased exponentially with the uncertainty Covid-19 presents. Money worries add to that stress, along with anxiety over the uncertainty of how long this lockdown will be in force. Remember, four weeks is the minimum period set down by the Government, not the maximum.

Domestic violence will increase because people are stuck together in close proximity, with very few outlets to relieve stress, and nowhere to go. Domestic violence survivors may be reluctant to call for help during the lockdown, but essential services including charities are still able to operate, but in a Covid-19-conscious way.

Not everyone wanting to escape domestic violence can go into a refuge. Emergency housing is extremely limited, and it's difficult to maintain a 'bubble' in Covid-19 lockdown while trying to escape domestic violence.

Making the decision to escape domestic violence is huge in ordinary times. During this pandemic it will feel impossible, but help is out there. Some will need to walk away from everything they currently have, just to be safe. They will need help with safe, secure accommodation, beds for their children, and food in their bellies. They will need mobile phones, phone credit, and access to the internet to keep in touch with key people and organisations.

The current circumstances faced by New Zealand are unprecedented, but we can't afford to stand still when lives are at risk. The Government needs to be actively thinking about how New Zealanders can survive this economic uncertainty by putting some certainty in place.

Implementing a UBI for all New Zealanders would go a long way towards providing financial security that will help people needing to escape unsafe environments, and catch their breath.

It's really hard to pull yourself up by your bootstraps when you have no shoes. It's time the Government made a UBI a priority investment in our people.