It didn't say people on welfare get $20k/person. They don't get anywhere near that. That's how much the government spends to administrate giving them welfare (including managing means testing to prevent people from abusing it) as well as the welfare itself.
I'm pretty sure US welfare is somewhere around $500-900/mo, and if you get a job (thus, work towards becoming a 'productive member of society') you may lose it.
Re:It Is Time For Basic Income
by yummyfajitas on Saturday March 22, 2014 @01:04AM
(#7447736)
People on welfare (including section 8, food stamps, etc) do in fact get $20k/person.
http://johnhcochrane.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/taxes-and-cliffs...
Consumption data agrees.
ftp://ftp.bls.gov/pub/special.requests/ce/standard/2009/income.txt
Note that the current level of welfare is $20k/person so you are advocating a massive reduction of consumption for the welfare class. (I don't object, just pointing it out.)