Basic Income Canada Network (BICN)

Did you know that the OHEA is a proud supporter of the Basic Income Canada Network? 
Basic Income Canada Network (BICN) is a registered non-profit which acts as an informational resource, raises awareness about basic income, develops policy options, and builds the network of people supporting basic income.
Basic income aligns with Professional Home Economists’ goal to support people in enhancing their everyday lives. It is a transfer of cash from the government which is adequate for everyone to meet their basic needs, regardless of employment status (1). Basic income is an alternative to the current social assistance programs which are highly stigmatized, typically provide much less than is needed to meet people’s basic needs, and have intrusive conditions or requirements.
Participants of Ontario’s 2017 basic income pilot project reported positive changes to their everyday lives (2) including:
- Improved mental health
-Being able to better manage family, paid work, and responsibilities to their communities
-Buying food that they wouldn’t have otherwise been able to afford
-Improving their housing situation
-The ability to go back to school or upgrade their skills
Other benefits of a basic income include:
-Having a sense of dignity — a basic income means not having to ask others for financial help, having a home to live in, and having food to eat
-Being able to escape the cycle of debt (3) 
-Providing an income to people who do unpaid work, like childcare and eldercare
-Prevention of poverty-related issues like substance abuse and family violence
According to the Canadian Centre for Economic Analysis (CANCEA), a basic income could also grow Canada’s economy and speed up our recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic (4). A basic income would create jobs, grow our GDP more than the tourist and hospitality industries combined, and increase capital investments (4). CANCEA reports that a basic income in Canada is a sustainable investment that could be funded primarily with the new tax revenues generated by the program itself (4). 
What could a Basic Income look like in Canada? BICN proposes three options (1):
1) For everyone 18 - 64 years old: $22 000 for a single person or $31 113 for a couple, reducing gradually as other income rises
2) For everyone 18+: $22 000 for a single person or $31 113 for a couple, reducing gradually as other income rises
3) For everyone 18+: $22 000 for each adult regardless of income or family status
Further information about these three policy options can be found in Basic Income Canada Network’s report. To learn more about Basic Income and what it could look like in Canada, see the Basic Income Canada Network’s website.
This blogpost was written by OHEA Student Member: Laura Michailidis