[samatman]

Right now (speaking from a US perspective, since that's what I know), a best case scenario for someone with mental health issues like you're describing is SSI. It's around $700 a month.

To qualify, they must establish that they're unable to do any job which could earn them about $1200 a month, they can never have more than $2000 in assets, and they basically can't work.

With UBI, they just... get the $700 a month (for the sake of argument). If they can work a little, well, then they do. If they get a gift, inheritance, any sort of windfall, good for them.

There isn't ever a choice between continuing to get the lifeline check or trying to reenter the workforce, also known as the poverty trap.

This is one of the basic arguments for UBI over means-tested benefits, in fact.