ABSTRACT
The scale of income redistribution is considerable, and some of it is hard to quantify. Neither model family analysis nor TAXMOD is able to show the effects of change on income redistribution within the family. Philip Vince appears to be the most redistributive from rich to poor, but this is because the figures do not show the effects of the Basic Income Guarantee (BIG) 1 proposal to abolish private pension tax reliefs. The Vince and BIG schemes are linked to earnings through the income tax base, but are not indexed to anything. At nil own income the only groups who have made worthwhile gains as a result of the Fowler reforms are single non-householders aged 25+ and some lone parents. The Britain’s Social Democrats (SDP) scheme is the most generous to low income pensioners, and the SDP policy paper gave priority to further increases in basic pension.
