An absolutely key feature of basic income is the security it gives someone who is on breadline.<p>I can only describe the situation in the UK - but imagine this generalises. If you are on government benefits, and you accept some money to do a small or casual job, you face a choice. Not declare it, and face court and destitution if you are found out.<p>Declaring the income, on the other hand, is an administrative nightmare. Worse - it might trigger a recalculation, or removal, of your benefits. Most benefit seekers don't fully understand how their benefits are calculated, and, again, they could be destitute if benefits are removed or reduced.<p>So, for any long term unemployed person, it's often best to sit tight and not take any risks. Thus the person is trapped in poverty, plus of course the sense of self worth that comes from doing a job.<p>This is also true for an entrepreneur who decides to quite his job and build a business. Basic income can provide some security while you get that business going. This is not typically true of unemployment benefit.<p>Everything comes back to what unemployment benefits are - a payment conditional on not doing any work. That causes so many problems, and basic income can solve them.<p>On the cost: basic income, at substantial levels, is clearly very expensive. However, you simply tax that money back. This can leave pay after tax absolutely unchanged for everyone, while still delivering the advantages described above.