Advocates say a universal basic income program could make a difference in helping people struggling in precarious and low-income jobs. However, critics wonder if it will effectively tackle the problem of poverty and if Canada could even afford a program.
The concept is controversial, though the program has recently gained attention in a few provinces. Newfoundland and Labrador announced in November 2023 a three-year program for residents aged 60 to 64, which will provide the equivalent of the federal seniors’ benefits, The Canadian Press reported.
“The social determinants of health have a far greater impact on well-being than the healthcare system itself,” said Newfoundland Premier Andrew Furey, an orthopedic surgeon. “I’m proud to say that as a government, we are placing a heightened focus on the social determinants of health, both in our spending and our policy directives.”
A report in November revealed details of a possible five-year guaranteed basic income program, which would provide income that’s 85 percent of the government-determined official poverty line in Prince Edward Island.
As well, the Senate is studying Bill S-233(opens in a new tab), which was introduced by Sen. Kim Pate in 2021, to create a national framework for a guaranteed livable basic income. If passed, the bill would require the minister of finance to develop a national framework to provide everyone over the age of 17 in Canada, including temporary workers, permanent residents, and refugee claimants, with access to a guaranteed livable basic income(opens in a new tab).
As Canada’s Senate studies the bill, CTVNews.ca spoke with experts on the prospects of the program in Canada.
What is a guaranteed basic income?
While Wayne Lewchuk, a professor emeritus in the School of Labor Studies and the Department of Economics at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont., couldn’t guess when a guaranteed basic income program could start in Canada, he believes Canada can afford one. He said a guaranteed basic income is a minimum payment each individual would receive regularly without any restrictions.
The Parliamentary Budget Officer estimated a national guaranteed basic income(opens in a new tab) would cost about $88 billion in 2022-23. “I think to be frank, they can’t afford to implement basic income because we’re at a point in the development of our economy or society where an increasing number of people are being left behind, and we need to provide them with the support which allow them to be fully functional citizens in our society,” Lewchuk said in a Zoom interview with CTVNews.ca.
Leslie Boehm, adjunct professor at the Institute of Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto, adds that the basic income would require setting an income floor that no one will go below.
“So if people go below, you provide that money for them to make sure they’re at that minimum income,” he said in a phone interview with CTVNews.ca.
Source: ctvnews.ca/
Tuesday, May 5, 2026
