It's certainly an income generator for the government.

If income tax is the price you have to pay to keep the government on its feet, alimony is the price we have to pay for sweeping a woman off hers.

If the government is prepared to top up your income even if you opt out of the state scheme then you may as well take up this lump sum. It will not cost you anything to do so.

I don't know if I can live on my income or not - the government won't let me try it.

In South Korea, rice farmers get large income support from the government, which also leads to higher prices of rice in the domestic market. Obviously, farmers don't want to dismantle such barriers.

And when the income tax was introduced, she was the first person to sue the government over taxes.