Executive summary There has been a resurgence of political interest in Canada in the rath- er old idea of a universal basic income, sometimes called a guaranteed an- nual income. Essentially, a basic income is a “no strings attached” transfer from government to individuals or families that can be simpler to adminis- ter and provide more dignity to recipients than welfare payments and other forms of social assistance. This report simulates various potential basic in- come models to determine which ones do better at reducing poverty in a cost-effective way. Canada presently has 33 income support programs (disbursed by either the federal or provincial governments) that we should consider forms of basic income. They include sales tax credits, and transfers like the Canada Child Benefit or Guaranteed Income Supplement for seniors. Social Assist- ance and EI should not be considered basic incomes and are not part of that 33 program count. Isolating provincial basic income programs, bene- fit levels vary considerably across provinces, with single seniors in Sas- katchewan receiving the most ($3,486) and single adults in Alberta receiv- ing nothing, i.e. the least. When we include both federal and provincial support programs, the highest combined basic income is disbursed, again, to single seniors in Sas- katchewan ($ 59,891) while in PEI this same group receives $56,515 (the low- est provincial amount for single seniors). Families with children also receive large basic income supplements depending on where they live, with the high- est transfer of $45,737 per person in Quebec for a single parent with or without children. By David Mcdonald.

Executive summary
There has been a resurgence of political interest in Canada in the rath-
er old idea of a universal basic income, sometimes called a guaranteed an-
nual income. Essentially, a basic income is a “no strings attached” transfer
from government to individuals or families that can be simpler to adminis-
ter and provide more dignity to recipients than welfare payments and other
forms of social assistance. This report simulates various potential basic in-
come models to determine which ones do better at reducing poverty in a
cost-effective way.
Canada presently has 33 income support programs (disbursed by either
the federal or provincial governments) that we should consider forms of
basic income. They include sales tax credits, and transfers like the Canada
Child Benefit or Guaranteed Income Supplement for seniors. Social Assist-
ance and EI should not be considered basic incomes and are not part of
that 33 program count. Isolating provincial basic income programs, bene-
fit levels vary considerably across provinces, with single seniors in Sas-
katchewan receiving the most ($3,486) and single adults in Alberta receiv-
ing nothing, i.e. the least.
When we include both federal and provincial support programs, the
highest combined basic income is disbursed, again, to single seniors in Sas-
katchewan ($ 59,891) while in PEI this same group receives $56,515 (the low-
est provincial amount for single seniors). Families with children also receive
large basic income supplements depending on where they live, with the high-
est transfer of $45,737 per person in Quebec for a single parent with or without children.

By David Mcdonald.