"that they could spend on education, or applying for jobs, or starting new businesses." Your difficulty would be to ensure the realisation of the benefit, and

"that they could spend on education, or applying for jobs, or starting new businesses." Your difficulty would be to ensure the realisation of the benefit, and that there actually are jobs available that provide for these people. I would prefer to approach the same issue in the reverse fashion, providing a job/ education with housing and minor allowances, requiring that the person start and complete a certain amount of work before any monetary incentive is provided. Available office space could be used, old buildings fallen into disuse can be repossessed to allow startup businesses some working space. This way you actually guarantee some economic value and proper utilisation of the funds. What you would end up with is the government incorporating businesses that mimic private enterprise, have stricter rules and hire from a different pool of people. If I were homeless and or couldn't afford education, all I need is a warm bed, hot shower, library card, three square meals and google. (Not some arbitrary handout I would not be able to allocate properly, or in effect be compelled to spend unwisely because I know not the value of working for it.) The idea of a basic income is flawed if it allows comfortable survival without working, no different from communal distribution. All that being said, I'm not American. What do I know.