I happen to live in a welfare state [...] If it was truly only a money problem, we wouldn't have 11% of the population still living in poverty.

To be fair, the author claims that his proposal would cut the poverty rate in half. In the States the poverty/hunger rate is about 20% (though I suspect it's significantly higher because many people, like isolated rural families and the homeless, simply don't get counted.) So, it sounds like your welfare state is doing what the author says his proposal would do.

Poverty is just not having enough resources to acquire the basic needs for living in a society. Since our society requires people to purchase most of their basic needs, then not having enough resources usually means not having enough money. So, poverty is usually a result of not having enough money.

Really, I think providing everyone with a basic income is a very good idea. It could replace most other "safety net" programs. It would help to prevent the desperate from falling prey to predatory business or racketeering practices. It would ensure an extensive, and stable, market for commodities and housing. And the progressive tax rates would help mitigate the problems associated with an extreme concentration of wealth.