UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME

The congregation of Shiloh-Fifth Avenue joins in the call for a universal basic income (UBI) program in collaboration with the provinces, territories, and Indigenous leadership.

Since 1972, The United Church of Canada has advocated a policy of guaranteed annual income that is more equitable and less expensive and complicated to administer than the numerous government support programs presently available. Since then, national and international studies and programs have shown that a universal basic income is both affordable and had beneficial effects in the areas of health, justice, education, and social welfare.

Indigenous members of the United Church have described how structural inequities in Canadian society continue to be reinforced in this time of pandemic. They have reported barriers to accessing relief programs designed to help Canadians through the pandemic crisis. Accordingly, it is critical that a UBI program be designed to ensure both the application and payment processes facilitate participation by all Indigenous peoples, whether they live in urban centres or remote communities. The government should build a program that is universal, preserves human dignity rather than creates stigma, removes discriminatory barriers, does not penalize people for the work that they do, and is available with a minimum of bureaucracy.

What Is Basic Income?

A guaranteed annual income (also called a universal basic income) would ensure everyone an income adequate for meeting basic needs, allowing all people to live with dignity regardless of work status. UBI would be part of the national fabric of services that preserve and protect Canadians; or, as Jesus put it, “to love our neighbours as ourselves.”

With UBI, rather than have a rules-based, bureaucratically driven application process (during which applications must prove they are “really poor” before being approved), all Canadian citizens are ensured an automatic top-up when their income collapses for whatever reason. The incomes would be unconditional, automatic, non-withdrawable, individual, and a right of every legal resident.

A universal basic income is an effective way to support the reduction and elimination of poverty and insecurity; the narrowing of extreme income and wealth inequalities; shared citizenship; and improved democratic and economic functioning.

Take Action

    1. Call or write to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Chrystia Freeland, and ask them to
      • seize this moment to roll out a guaranteed livable income program in collaboration with the provinces, territories, and Indigenous leadership (guaranteed livable income is another way of describing a basic income program)
      • develop and implement a program that provides an adequate living level for everyone and addresses the persistent inequities that exist within the present wage and social benefit structures of our country
      • address systemic barriers experienced by Indigenous peoples in accessing relief programs (for example, those related to COVID-19)
      • build a program that is universally accessible, preserves human dignity rather than creates stigma, removes discriminatory barriers, does not penalize people for the work that they do, and is available with a minimum of bureaucracy

      You can personalize the e-mail template below. Justin Trudeau’s e-mail is pm@pm.gc.ca  and Chrystia Freeland’s e-mail is Chrystia.Freeland@parl.gc.ca.  Please cc justice@united-church.ca and your own member of Parliament. You can find your member of Parliament’s contact information by entering your postal code on the Parliament of Canada website. Multiply your efforts by sharing with 10 friends and encourage them to write their own.

    2. Share this Take Action on your social media networks. Use the hashtags #UCCan, #poverty, #UBI, #universalbasicincome, #basicincome.

Learn more about UBI by engaging with