A basic income solves poverty the best because it empowers individual agency which is crucial to ending the Cycle of poverty

B. Advocates recommend that programs focus on achieving individual agency and personal choice Advocates expressed that Guaranteed Income programs are more beneficial than other forms of assistance as they allow choice and freedom. Not restricting what recipients spend the cash on it allows them choice and control in their life and to do what’s best for them. Neighly stated: “Guaranteed income allows for trust and choice and freedom, and individuals know best how to support themselves and their families, and that’s what guaranteed income allows, rather than having hoops to jump through bureaucratic inefficiencies and other challenges. This is trusting individuals and giving them the foundation on which they can build their lives.” (Neighly) Grant continues this thought by saying the goal of GBI should be to create individual agencies and allow people to take charge of their own futures, a concept that other assistance programs do not achieve. “If we can shift people away from other social safety net programs, like housing vouchers and other benefits, and give them an opportunity to be more independent and have more individual agency, we can start to break the cycle of generational poverty.” (Grant) Finally, advocates explained that individual agency looks different for everyone. Some use the money to not work extra jobs, or be more involved in their child’s life, or save it for housing, or use it for transportation. No matter what their choice it’s important that this choice is theirs to make. Grant explains this stating: “We want to know, did UBI provide you an opportunity to enhance your quality of life?… to some people, it could be, I didn’t have to work a third job to provide for my family because of UBI. For another person, it might be that I was able to go to night school to work towards my associate’s or to finish high school. For other people, it might be I was able to buy a car or I was able to move. I mean, it’s different for everyone. But ultimately, individual agencies are going to be our gauge for how successful this program was.” (Grant) The success of GBI can be measured by noting the increase in individual agency and free choice that programs provide to participants.