A generous basic income funded by very high taxes would be self-defeating, as it would reintroduce the sort of distortions that many of its advocates hope to banish from the welfare system. Loafers could live comfortably without lifting a finger.
Basically, if there is not enough jobs for everyone - the raison d'etre of the basic income - then at some point, some aren't going to do anything: that's the point.
In other terms, the basic income is all about how do deal with the people which does nothing since we have reasons to think they couldn't do anything anyway according to the situation.
Although automation of jobs is a popular reason for talking about basic income these days, I don't think it's the original or only reason for it being thought a good idea.
The problem with this, at least in somewhere like the UK, is you haven't convinced the public that there aren't enough jobs.
Sure, some people are saying so, but there's a barrage of benefits programs that shows there is a subset of the native population who just can't be arsed trying to get a job, and who won't work for a job that earns them similar or less money than they get on benefits.
While these people are sitting around with their massive entitlment complexes and a subset or them are willing to go on channel4 and openly discuss it, you're never going to convince the public there's no jobs.
It's sad because, these people are supposed to be statsticly insignificant, but alas, I work full time and had to pay £500,000 for a 2 bed terrace. I resent the fact we can't move the non-working out of London when it costs a fortune to live somewhere nearby.
Of course the bigger problem is that money has a gravitational pull and the rich are getting richer, but they're not being idiots on channel4, so the middle class aren't taking it out on them.
I always argue that even if they'd want to cultivate their own food, all land is already taken so they are not only unable but forbidden to earn their income.
Basically, if there is not enough jobs for everyone - the raison d'etre of the basic income - then at some point, some aren't going to do anything: that's the point.
In other terms, the basic income is all about how do deal with the people which does nothing since we have reasons to think they couldn't do anything anyway according to the situation.