<i>If you make a change like this though, I think a lot of other adjustments logically follow.</i><p>Yes, that&#x27;s the tricky part.<p>I seem to be politically moderate on this issue, in that I am in favour of some form of social security safety net for the essentials, but I also think any government aid beyond that needs to be limited so those who do more also see more benefit in return. A guaranteed basic income seems like an interesting idea that could work as part of a wider reform of our social security framework.<p>Perhaps it could be combined with some form of public service requirement for those who want to claim it, so it would be more like a guaranteed job available to as many people as need it than a hand-out. This could be used to support useful activities that aren&#x27;t run commercially, such as looking after local neighbourhood amenities, or helping at your kid&#x27;s school if you have useful skills to share, or even going abroad to help with aid work after a natural disaster. Instead of the state social security apparatus concentrating on who qualifies or doesn&#x27;t qualify for which benefits, with sometimes controversial or unfair results, maybe it could concentrate on recognising valuable activities and helping those otherwise without a job to contribute to them.<p>Next you have the issue of private and public sector employment. Maybe set a statutory minimum wage for employing someone full-time that is a modest but noticeable amount above the basic income level? Tax any form of income above that level, adjust in some reasonable way for people who are working part-time, and adjust in reasonable ways to support those who have other genuine responsibilities or disabilities, and this seems like the basis for a system where work does pay but if you&#x27;re ever the unlucky one for a while then you aren&#x27;t getting punched when you&#x27;re down. Maybe it could even support a different kind of lifestyle for the type of person who likes contributing to their community in practical ways and doesn&#x27;t much value material things or financial wealth.<p>I also wonder whether, given the shifting population patterns and increasing debt particularly among the young that we have in the West today, we should place a lot more emphasis on social housing, even if that just means a modest dorm-style room and some basic communal facilities so everyone can have somewhere to eat, sleep and wash. It seems to me that this would be a natural fit with the idea of giving everyone a basic safety net and an opportunity to move up to enjoy things beyond the essentials in exchange for taking on better paid work.