C-223 – The National Framework for a Guaranteed Livable Basic Income Act – starts the process of creating a national universal basic income system.
National Framework
The framework for the national basic income will be created by the Minister of Finance. In order to create this they’ll need to consult a number of people, including:
- The ministers responsible for employment, social development, and disability
- Provincial representatives responsible for these departments, as well as health and education
- Indigenous elders and governing bodies
- Policy developers and political decision makers
- Experts on basic income programs
- Any other relevant stakeholders
The framework itself needs to include measures to:
- Determine what counts as a livable basic income for each region in Canada. This includes things like the goods and services needed to live in that region and the cost to access them.
- Create national standards for health and social supports that complement a basic income program, and include guidance on the creation of these programs in every province.
- Ensure that participation in education, training, or the labour market isn’t needed to qualify for basic income.
- Ensure that the basic income program doesn’t result in a decrease in services or benefits meant to meet an individual’s health or disability needs. Good example here is that people collecting disability in Ontario can lose those benefits based on how much money they make. C-223 would need to make sure any money from the basic income program doesn’t count against this.
Reports on C-223
The Minister of Finance will have one year to put together this framework and present it to the House. The Minister then needs to report on the progress and effectiveness of C-223 every two years after this.
Progress
C-223 is currently waiting for its Second Reading vote.