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KMID : 1001320160430040079
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Social Welfare Policy
2016 Volume.43 No. 4 p.79 ~ p.107
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Is Unconditional Basic Income the Optimal Solution for Social Security?: A Critical Review Based on the Concept of `Needs` in Social Policy
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Kim Byoung-Inn
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Abstract
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This article reviewed Unconditional Basic Income(UBI) based on the concept of `needs ` in social policy, because needs is at the heart of social policy and Income Maintenance Institutions became institutionalized in order to ensure social right to satisfaction needs. Therefore, this article examined UBI by comparing it with income maintenance institutions, and pointed out that it does not support the concept of `needs` in social policy. The criticism was based on the grounds that (i) UBI is not redistribution according to needs, and (ii) it is closer to individualised measure than to collectivist one. UBI violates the principle of needs satisfaction. It is irrelevant to social policy in the traditional sense, and, rather, similar to tax policy or redistribution one of wealth in its nature. Also, UBI, which is irrelevant to social right to need satisfaction, may correspond to the re-commodification tendency in welfare states. It is likely to reinforce the labour market segmentation by eliminate de-commodification enabled by income maintenance institutions and, thereby, accelerating the supply of labour powers. UBI supports work incentives and supplements wage. Also, considering its individualized approach, UBI entails considerable probability to dismantle income maintenance systems and support marketisation of social services. It is because UBI is a risk instrument for supplementing or providing an alternative to welfare state. Therefore, this article suggested the relevant discussions focus on expanding income maintenance institutions rather than adoption UBI, and discussed the need to accept instability of the labor market as well as to change the current approach to and focus on adaptation to it. Furthermore, the article proposed examination of the labour market reform and expansion of income maintenance institutions from the viewpoints of human need and social right.
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KEYWORD
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Unconditional Basic Income, Social Right, Income Maintenance Institutions, De-commodification, Needs
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