ABSTRACT
The long-term vision of economic security and social participation for people with a disability held by disability activists and policy-makers has not been realized on a global scale. This is despite the implementation of various poverty alleviation initiatives by international and national governments. Indeed within advanced Western liberal democracies, the inequalities and poverty gaps have widened rather than closed. This article is based on findings from a historical-comparative policy and discourse analysis of disability income support system in Australia and the Basic Income model. The findings suggest that a model such as Basic Income, grounded in principles of social citizenship, goes some way to maintaining an adequate level of subsistence for people with a disability. This article concludes by presenting some challenges and a commitment to transforming income support policy.
Acknowledgement
The author would like to thank the anonymous reviewers for their feedback and helpful suggestions.
Notes
1 These include Commonwealth of Australia (Citation1975), Howe (Citation2004), Lo Vuolo and Raventós (Citation2009), McDonald (Citation1995, Citation2000), Milner (Citation1920), Pérez (Citation2005), Raventós (Citation2007), Standing (Citation2002, Citation2005, Citation2009), Tomlinson (Citation2007), Tulloch (Citation1979) and Van Parijs (Citation1992).
Commonwealth of Australia. 1975. Australian Government’s Commission of Inquiry into Poverty: Poverty in Australia Vol. 1. Henderson Poverty Report. Canberra: Commonwealth Government Printer. http://www.biga.qut.edu.au. Howe, B. 2004. “Empowering the Disabled.” Paper presented at the Australian College of Educators National Conference, September 2004. http://www.novaemployment.com.au. McDonald, A. 2000. Universal Income Support: Benefits of Universal Income Support Free of Means Test. OASIS-Australia. http://www.biga.qut.edu.au. Milner, D. 1920. Higher Production by a Bonus on National Output: A Proposal for a Minimum Income for all Varying with National Productivity. London: George Allen and Unwin. Pérez, J. L. R. 2005. “The Right to Work Reassessed: How We Can Understand and Make Effective the Right to Work.” Rutgers Journal of Law and Urban Policy 2 (1): 217–237. Raventós, D. 2007. Basic Income: The Material Conditions of Freedom. Translated and edited by J. Wark. London: Pluto Press. Standing, G. 2002. Beyond the New Paternalism: Basic Security as Equality. London: Verso. Standing, G. 2005. “Why Basic Income is Needed for a Right to Work.” Rutgers Journal of Law and Urban Policy 2 (1): 91–102. Standing, G. 2009. Work after Globalization: Building Occupational Citizenship. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar. Tomlinson, J. 2007. “Australia: Basic Income and Decency.” New Community Quarterly 5 (1): 33–41. Tulloch, P. 1979. Poor Policies: Australian Income Security 1972–1977. London: Croom Helm. Van Parijs, P. 1992. “Introduction: Competing Justifications of Basic Income.” In Arguing for Basic Income, edited by P. Van Parijs, 3–43. London: Verso.
![Sample our Health and Social Care journals, sign in here to start your FREE access for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5938/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Health-Social-Care.jpg"})