I think the big arguments for basic income are: 1) there is a huge and inefficient bureaucracy involved in administering these various assistance programs 2)

I think the big arguments for basic income are: 1) there is a huge and inefficient bureaucracy involved in administering these various assistance programs 2) the way these programs work (you lose access to them if your income rises above a fairly low threshold), we've essentially created a marginal tax rate of 100% on certain types of low income workers. 3) rapid technological change and increasing automation undermines the moral argument against redistribution of wealth. It is interesting that libertarians, not generally known for enthusiasm around wealth distribution, appear at least intrigued by basic income. This is just a quick summary, of course, I'd encourage you to read more about the case for basic income.