text: One thing that I think should be considered when discussing basic income is the fact that we have a basic income for seniors and have had it for many years. OAS and GIS provide a basic income similar (the same)  the amounts for the proposed basic income test. Many households do not have retirement (or any) savings and do not own a home. What do households in that situation do; do they stop working completely? I think looking at the effect of the seniors basic income would provide some insight into the net benefits of a universal basic income.