Comment by int_19h

FWIW I'm far left and in favor of UBI, but one thing to keep in mind is that while it's a simple concept, details (i.e. amounts paid and amounts taxed) matter a lot. There's no reason why UBI can't be redistributive if one desires it to be so - you just use more progressive taxes to fund it.

And, of course, reducing the complexity and cost of welfare ought to be a left wing talking point as well! Again, it depends on what you do with the savings - sure, it can just be taken and used elsewhere, or you could maintain the spending but raise the bar on how much UBI provides.