Abstract
The Social Security System in Spain is significantly broader and more complex than in other EU countries. One of its problems is that it was not created as a single whole. Instead of this, there are different kinds of social assistance service depending on the region, so there is a real need to reduce the complexity of these schemes and homogenise the benefits paid out in a general basic social benefit. In this paper we propose a new approach to universal basic protection benefit (called Basic Social Benefit) as a way of unifying and rationalising the different grants and economic aids currently available in Spain in order to cover the basic needs of all citizens. This is the first study made in Spain in calculating the lump sum of a basic social benefit for the whole population. For this, we use Quantile Regression (QR) to calculate the principal variables that explain the minimum vital expenditures of Spanish citizens. We also show the total financial cost of this measure for Spain in 2010 and a projection of the cost for the next 12 years.
Annex 1
Universal basic social benefit for the HBS sample, 2010 (in €)
| Age | Sample | Aggregate BSB | Average BSB |
| 17 | 1 | 3,045.24 | 3,045.24 |
| 18 | 5 | 34,505.19 | 6,901.04 |
| 19 | 5 | 29,636.99 | 5,927.40 |
| 20 | 16 | 89,082.96 | 5,567.68 |
| 21 | 20 | 133,217.69 | 6,660.88 |
| 22 | 32 | 218,740.58 | 6,835.64 |
| 23 | 42 | 253,409.86 | 6,033.57 |
| 24 | 52 | 348,709.71 | 6,705.96 |
| 25 | 75 | 483,014.32 | 6,440.19 |
| 26 | 101 | 707,603.52 | 7,005.98 |
| 27 | 121 | 839,225.13 | 6,935.74 |
| 28 | 142 | 1,080,823.58 | 7,611.43 |
| 29 | 188 | 1,411,441.63 | 7,507.67 |
| 30 | 202 | 1,615,265.42 | 7,996.36 |
| 31 | 292 | 2,284,016.86 | 7,821.98 |
| 32 | 344 | 2,756,093.78 | 8,011.90 |
| 33 | 345 | 2,748,515.84 | 7,966.71 |
| 34 | 368 | 3,118,778.96 | 8,474.94 |
| 35 | 392 | 3,437,814.69 | 8,769.94 |
| 36 | 433 | 3,710,503.47 | 8,569.29 |
| 37 | 419 | 3,746,095.65 | 8,940.56 |
| 38 | 466 | 4,098,618.09 | 8,795.32 |
| 39 | 459 | 4,253,920.18 | 9,267.80 |
| 40 | 509 | 4,611,455.10 | 9,059.83 |
| 41 | 488 | 4,555,643.44 | 9,335.33 |
| 42 | 486 | 4,763,658.73 | 9,801.77 |
| 43 | 523 | 5,131,452.60 | 9,811.57 |
| 44 | 566 | 5,547,978.38 | 9,802.08 |
| 45 | 494 | 4,891,674.96 | 9,902.18 |
| 46 | 547 | 5,588,129.10 | 10,215.96 |
| 47 | 538 | 5,619,418.48 | 10,445.02 |
| 48 | 540 | 5,701,970.70 | 10,559.20 |
| 49 | 496 | 5,286,759.86 | 10,658.79 |
| 50 | 573 | 6,207,738.44 | 10,833.75 |
| 51 | 470 | 5,210,155.37 | 11,085.44 |
| 52 | 502 | 5,639,667.66 | 11,234.40 |
| 53 | 481 | 5,480,228.73 | 11,393.41 |
| 54 | 473 | 5,522,660.81 | 11,675.82 |
| 55 | 426 | 4,987,975.30 | 11,708.86 |
| 56 | 410 | 4,773,911.47 | 11,643.69 |
| 57 | 427 | 4,881,873.30 | 11,432.96 |
| 58 | 428 | 4,904,822.36 | 11,459.87 |
| 59 | 395 | 4,579,967.71 | 11,594.85 |
| 60 | 385 | 4,562,186.80 | 11,849.84 |
| 61 | 430 | 5,167,241.50 | 12,016.84 |
| 62 | 425 | 4,924,428.24 | 11,586.89 |
| 63 | 383 | 4,396,822.44 | 11,479.95 |
| 64 | 375 | 4,371,893.10 | 11,658.38 |
| 65 | 390 | 4,548,808.22 | 11,663.61 |
| 66 | 351 | 4,097,398.07 | 11,673.50 |
| 67 | 362 | 4,404,408.25 | 12,166.87 |
| 68 | 271 | 3,247,894.61 | 11,984.85 |
| 69 | 298 | 3,460,464.51 | 11,612.30 |
| 70 | 281 | 3,195,084.84 | 11,370.41 |
| 71 | 267 | 3,101,165.38 | 11,614.85 |
| 72 | 263 | 3,008,167.75 | 11,437.90 |
| 73 | 294 | 3,420,619.81 | 11,634.76 |
| 74 | 336 | 4,047,065.56 | 12,044.84 |
| 75 | 316 | 3,676,704.71 | 11,635.14 |
| 76 | 303 | 3,561,790.58 | 11,755.08 |
| 77 | 305 | 3,528,786.97 | 11,569.79 |
| 78 | 258 | 3,044,926.73 | 11,802.04 |
| 79 | 231 | 2,579,560.19 | 11,166.93 |
| 80 & over | 1,387 | 15,525,518.94 | 11,193.60 |
Annex 2
Partial BSB for the HBS sample, 2010 (in €)
| Age | Sample | Aggregate BSB | Average BSB |
| 17 | 1 | 3,045.24 | 3,045.24 € |
| 18 | 5 | 7,796.01 | 7,796.01 € |
| 19 | 5 | − | − € |
| 20 | 16 | 27,875.45 | 4,645.91 € |
| 21 | 20 | 30,057.80 | 5,009.63 € |
| 22 | 32 | 38,594.19 | 6,432.37 € |
| 23 | 42 | 34,943.74 | 5,823.96 € |
| 24 | 52 | 42,304.66 | 5,288.08 € |
| 25 | 75 | 95,941.56 | 5,330.09 € |
| 26 | 101 | 61,815.54 | 5,619.59 € |
| 27 | 121 | 93,186.85 | 5,824.18 € |
| 28 | 142 | 148,713.01 | 6,196.38 € |
| 29 | 188 | 145,131.97 | 6,310.09 € |
| 30 | 202 | 189,314.38 | 7,281.32 € |
| 31 | 292 | 231,523.94 | 6,614.97 € |
| 32 | 344 | 265,359.18 | 6,472.18 € |
| 33 | 345 | 247,247.91 | 6,181.20 € |
| 34 | 368 | 260,332.94 | 7,036.03 € |
| 35 | 392 | 316,431.42 | 6,592.32 € |
| 36 | 433 | 346,333.75 | 7,368.80 € |
| 37 | 419 | 310,083.81 | 7,752.10 € |
| 38 | 466 | 512,520.69 | 7,537.07 € |
| 39 | 459 | 361,414.96 | 7,375.82 € |
| 40 | 509 | 408,262.17 | 7,851.20 € |
| 41 | 488 | 425,172.89 | 8,176.40 € |
| 42 | 486 | 519,159.52 | 9,270.71 € |
| 43 | 523 | 524,892.26 | 8,748.20 € |
| 44 | 566 | 605,943.85 | 8,300.60 € |
| 45 | 494 | 533,572.90 | 8,892.88 € |
| 46 | 547 | 519,185.35 | 8,653.09 € |
| 47 | 538 | 682,360.27 | 8,978.42 € |
| 48 | 540 | 754,956.16 | 9,678.93 € |
| 49 | 496 | 712,751.69 | 9,899.33 € |
| 50 | 573 | 740,693.81 | 9,258.67 € |
| 51 | 470 | 809,816.85 | 9,756.83 € |
| 52 | 502 | 775,661.97 | 9,459.29 € |
| 53 | 481 | 945,604.14 | 10,506.71 € |
| 54 | 473 | 1,033,774.98 | 10,881.84 € |
| 55 | 426 | 1,018,512.60 | 11,070.79 € |
| 56 | 410 | 1,283,492.06 | 11,358.34 € |
| 57 | 427 | 1,387,975.59 | 10,676.74 € |
| 58 | 428 | 1,390,376.39 | 10,613.56 € |
| 59 | 395 | 1,628,332.37 | 11,386.94 € |
| 60 | 385 | 2,049,229.71 | 11,709.88 € |
| 61 | 430 | 2,826,363.32 | 12,078.48 € |
| 62 | 425 | 3,091,130.98 | 11,406.39 € |
| 63 | 383 | 2,919,905.23 | 11,317.46 € |
| 64 | 375 | 3,151,427.88 | 11,847.47 € |
| 65 | 390 | 3,998,959.27 | 11,591.19 € |
| 66 | 351 | 3,764,300.78 | 11,690.38 € |
| 67 | 362 | 4,123,541.84 | 12,092.50 € |
| 68 | 271 | 3,159,968.23 | 12,015.09 € |
| 69 | 298 | 3,334,705.41 | 11,578.84 € |
| 70 | 281 | 3,110,845.02 | 11,353.45 € |
| 71 | 267 | 3,070,340.25 | 11,586.19 € |
| 72 | 263 | 2,974,413.40 | 11,440.05 € |
| 73 | 294 | 3,382,804.47 | 11,624.76 € |
| 74 | 336 | 3,971,653.84 | 12,035.31 € |
| 75 | 316 | 3,640,366.03 | 11,630.56 € |
| 76 | 303 | 3,546,138.49 | 11,742.18 € |
| 77 | 305 | 3,495,616.23 | 11,536.69 € |
| 78 | 258 | 3,038,969.02 | 11,824.78 € |
| 79 | 231 | 2,579,560.19 | 11,166.93 € |
| 80 & more | 1,387 | 15,495,938.53 | 11,188.40 € |
Acknowledgments
We are especially grateful to anonymous reviewers for their many insightful and constructive suggestions. All errors are our own. Financial support from the UPV/EHU Econometrics Research Group, Basque Government grant IT-642-13 and UPV/EHU UFI 11/51 (Business Management and Territorial and Social Governance) is gratefully acknowledged.
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©2014 by De Gruyter
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Research Articles
- A Feminist Way to Unconditional Basic Income: Claimants Unions and Women’s Liberation Movements in 1970s Britain
- Good and Bad Times of Social Innovations: The Case of Universal Basic Income in Finland
- The Foundations and Funding of Basic Income as Primary Income
- Feasibility of Financing a Basic Income
- A First Approach to the Cost of a Basic Social Benefit
- Basic Income and Negative Income Tax: A Comparison with a Simulation Model
- Book Reviews
- Money for Everyone: Why We Need a Citizen’s Income
- Guy Standing: The Precariat: The New Dangerous Class
- Guy Standing: “Getting What We Need” a Review of The Precariat Charter: From Denizens to Citizens
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Research Articles
- A Feminist Way to Unconditional Basic Income: Claimants Unions and Women’s Liberation Movements in 1970s Britain
- Good and Bad Times of Social Innovations: The Case of Universal Basic Income in Finland
- The Foundations and Funding of Basic Income as Primary Income
- Feasibility of Financing a Basic Income
- A First Approach to the Cost of a Basic Social Benefit
- Basic Income and Negative Income Tax: A Comparison with a Simulation Model
- Book Reviews
- Money for Everyone: Why We Need a Citizen’s Income
- Guy Standing: The Precariat: The New Dangerous Class
- Guy Standing: “Getting What We Need” a Review of The Precariat Charter: From Denizens to Citizens