But in order to receive UBI, citizens would have to choose between the $1,000 amount or any existing welfare benefits—potentially including social security, disability insurance, food stamps, and housing assistance. And it’s unclear whether Yang’s UBI would be worth that trade off for many low-income families, instead leaving the program as a boost to middle and upper income people. Yang’s press secretary Madalin Sammons, could not provide a “full list of programs…but health care is definitely not considered part of someone’s current benefits when talking about the Freedom Dividend.”

From a macroeconomic perspective—looking at how the plan would impact the economy as a whole—UBI would likely grow the economy, regardless of how much it costs or how you fund it. A study from the left-leaning Roosevelt Institute examined three different UBI plans ($1,000 a month per adult, $500 a month per adult, or $250 a month per child), and researchers found that all three resulted in higher spending power for lower-income Americans. (Though the report, unlike Yang’s proposal, did not take into account people needing to give up other social safety benefits in order to qualify for UBI.)