Should the UK make the assessment basis for tax and welfare the same?
The UK taxes income on an individual basis while means-tested welfare benefits such as Universal Credit are assessed on household or family income. This creates inconsistencies, for instance when one high earner in a household disqualifies the couple from benefits despite the partner's low personal income. Recent policy debates, including around the high income child benefit charge, have considered shifting some elements toward household assessment.
4 Opinions
You said it. Household asssessment would discourage a low-earning partner, often the woimen, from working.
Yes I believe that, outside of perhaps pupil or student assessments for finance which should remain household bound for simplicity sake, benefits and tax should be aligned to the person and not the household. The household harkens back to a different time in British society and individual citizen agency is better regulated by each exercising their rights and being assessed on their unique circumstances in most demenses of life as far as possible. Each to their own.
Seems logical to me.
No welfare and simplified taxation. Ideally one tax with fixed rate for all people and companies/organizations.