And - of course - if the Government gives out 'free money' it actually *helps* the economy...
If you do it right, the money doesn't end up tax free in the Caymans, it gets spent - pubs / shops / restaurants / whatever - and taxes are paid, and money flows through the economy and back to the Government...
As a 70 year old, many of my then young contemporaries started music careers on the dole and loafing. My brother very nearly made it. One of his mates, aided by Dennis Nilsen (the best dole officer he ever had) did make it.
Weirdly, there are people who have argued for this on a political basis. The policy version is called "Universal Basic Income".
Now, you might argue that because "No-one in their right mind would ever argue for more public money to be sprayed around so that good and great things may eventually get made", the people arguing for UBI are not in their right mind, but they definitely do exist.
Of course, most of them are not arguing for it from this point of view, or nearly as eloquently as Marie does.
But it's certainly true that a lot of British musicians from the 1970s to 1990s were on the dole back in the days when the requirements to prove you were "available for and actively seeking work" were to sign in once a fortnight, rather than the modern version that amounts to "have a full-time job looking for work" and that British pop music is now made by much posher people than it was in the era from The Clash to Oasis.
I think there is a case for UBI to replace the benefits system & state pension - which are surely managed on an extremely costly basis, especially in the case of the benefits system.
In practical terms, everyone gets say £1,200 pm. But for anyone working, that is lost with the reduction of the personal allowance. However if you lost your job, the following month, you could rely on the UBI.
However I don't think it's practical for this to be branded UBI as some kind of way of life or lifetime pension that people could live off. Inflation of core services such as housing, transport & utilities would likely mean that long term unemployed or disabled would still require additional help, so we'd be back to square 1, at least to an extent.
As a creative on the cusp of starting a few new projects and feeling *so much* financial pressure, I want to shout read this post from the mountaintops. A++ LOTR mention and book recs, too. <3
I'm old enough to remember a time when the dole WAS enough to live on while you were trying to break into the arts & the world didn't stop turning as a result.
Thank you for the book recommendations. That is an absolutely excellent way of giving them. I'd heard of some but others are now on my Christmas wishlist.
I think there is an epidemic of economically inactive people in their 60s living off ESA, PIP, Housing Benefit etc. This does make the subject of benefits politically toxic as well as stress the public finances to a point that things like grants for arts, writing or entrepreneurial endeavours become almost non-existent.
And - of course - if the Government gives out 'free money' it actually *helps* the economy...
If you do it right, the money doesn't end up tax free in the Caymans, it gets spent - pubs / shops / restaurants / whatever - and taxes are paid, and money flows through the economy and back to the Government...
As a 70 year old, many of my then young contemporaries started music careers on the dole and loafing. My brother very nearly made it. One of his mates, aided by Dennis Nilsen (the best dole officer he ever had) did make it.
Weirdly, there are people who have argued for this on a political basis. The policy version is called "Universal Basic Income".
Now, you might argue that because "No-one in their right mind would ever argue for more public money to be sprayed around so that good and great things may eventually get made", the people arguing for UBI are not in their right mind, but they definitely do exist.
Of course, most of them are not arguing for it from this point of view, or nearly as eloquently as Marie does.
But it's certainly true that a lot of British musicians from the 1970s to 1990s were on the dole back in the days when the requirements to prove you were "available for and actively seeking work" were to sign in once a fortnight, rather than the modern version that amounts to "have a full-time job looking for work" and that British pop music is now made by much posher people than it was in the era from The Clash to Oasis.
I think there is a case for UBI to replace the benefits system & state pension - which are surely managed on an extremely costly basis, especially in the case of the benefits system.
In practical terms, everyone gets say £1,200 pm. But for anyone working, that is lost with the reduction of the personal allowance. However if you lost your job, the following month, you could rely on the UBI.
However I don't think it's practical for this to be branded UBI as some kind of way of life or lifetime pension that people could live off. Inflation of core services such as housing, transport & utilities would likely mean that long term unemployed or disabled would still require additional help, so we'd be back to square 1, at least to an extent.
Same for actors as well I would suggest. And maybe comedians.
As a creative on the cusp of starting a few new projects and feeling *so much* financial pressure, I want to shout read this post from the mountaintops. A++ LOTR mention and book recs, too. <3
Hello Marie!
I'm old enough to remember a time when the dole WAS enough to live on while you were trying to break into the arts & the world didn't stop turning as a result.
Thank you for the book recommendations. That is an absolutely excellent way of giving them. I'd heard of some but others are now on my Christmas wishlist.
Hope your hangover is swiftly better.
Old enough to remember the Tory Party's "Enterprise Allowance" of the 1980's.....
see this
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2023/jul/26/thatcher-enterprise-allowance-scheme-artists-rachel-whiteread-jarvis-cocker-britpop-ybas
I was hoping for more cap designs really, but I'll check out some of the books instead.
Just wanted to wish you well and say that I’d definitely be interested in reading a novel by you.
I think there is an epidemic of economically inactive people in their 60s living off ESA, PIP, Housing Benefit etc. This does make the subject of benefits politically toxic as well as stress the public finances to a point that things like grants for arts, writing or entrepreneurial endeavours become almost non-existent.