It has been suggested that a universal basic income (UBI) be given to deal with the growing wealth gap and ensure that all Singaporeans have a decent life when they are jobless.

However, the money will have to come from somewhere.

As more money is spent to support the jobless, Singapore's economy would unquestionably slow down.

My suggestion would be to remove the budget from government agencies who help to find jobs.

People would argue that a UBI would cause workers to stop working and live with just the bare minimum income.

But surveys done overseas suggested that the majority of people still continued working, even with a UBI in place.

To most, this basic income is mainly a safety net if one becomes jobless.

The wealth gap will only worsen over time, as mechanisation occurs and more jobs are replaced by robots.

A UBI as well as a basic income for those who are working in low-income jobs will go a long way to improve the situation.

Jordan Loo Ming Zhou, 15

Secondary 3 student