Can you give some sources. A have been interested in UBI and other basic income schemes for quite some time; I haven't read much that is negative; there are a lot of positives and some neutrals. The mental health benefits are generally staggeringly good!

• Basic infographic on crime and UBI
• The Finnish Experiment key point: "The results also call into question the punitive workfare policies based on the deterrent effect of unemployment services."
• Stockton, USA found that having sure income increased wellbeing and increased employment.
• Give directly, Kenya this is really awesome; the life changing effects on the whole community is great.
• Housing First whilst not UBI; housing first is similar. It tackles similar problems and and gives housing to homeless in an unconditional manner.

Whilst there hasn't been a country wide application of UBI or similar; the benefits are generally well recognized. What remains in question is how to fund it sustainably and to remove the idea (some in the community have) that people need to be punished into working.

I have for a long time been a fan of replacing benefits with a UBI. The idea is that everyone is about as well off as they were before (not a cash injection, you adjust tax rates to balance it out), but they don't have to do the stupid things WINZ make them do.

This way you save money by downsizing WINZ, you provide a smaller core team that can support the people who want to be there. This gives people the dignity that Qiulae is talking about, without the cash injection that would get hoovered up like you're talking about.

You could, over time, reduce the age of eligibility to age 0 or even earlier (paid to the parents) to make one system that supports families as well.

Obviously the devil is in the detail, but I think this TOP (or rather Opportunity) plan has some basis in reality so long as there is a multi-pronged approach.