Chapter nine applies the findings from previous chapters to basic income debates and examines the potential policy implications for basic income implementation. It contrasts the major theoretical debates around basic income and work incentives with the empirical findings in chapter seven. It then uses counterfactual analysis to examine basic income’s potential effects across diverse welfare contexts. The findings demonstrate that basic income’s effects would not follow straightforward theoretical expectations but would depend on complex interactions within broader institutional arrangements. Through counterfactual analysis, the chapter illustrates how identical basic income implementations may produce different outcomes based on existing welfare regimes. The chapter concludes that basic income should not be conceptualised as incentivising work but rather as enhancing income security within specific institutional contexts that ultimately determine its freedom enhancing potential.