[user5994461]

You can easily save 10 to 20% when unemployed because you don't have to pay for daily transportation (tube/train/car), lunch outdoors every day and a few other things. So the difference in disposable income is about null in most cases.

[watwut]

You can take lunch from home and eat that. I know enough people who do that. People who bought yearly or other long term tickets (majority of frequent travellers) dont save.

[tomxor]

Even if that is the case, it's not your choice, as I said before - it does not apply to those voluntarily unemployed. You are projecting arguments of basic income onto an economic solution for a pandemic where people are suddenly forced into unemployment or unpaid leave for a very specific reason...

Given a lack of choice how can paying wages make any difference to their employment behavior. I'll repeat: this is not basic income.

[user5994461]

This had nothing to do with basic income. We're talking unemployment for people who get laid off from their jobs.

[tomxor]

Then you clearly didn't read the article, the headline is:

> The government will pay the wages of employees unable to work due to the coronavirus pandemic