Though work itself no doubt contributes to ill health, I foresee even more social breakdown and mental illness without work. Look how crazy the whole world became during the COVID lockdowns. It will be a major issue that society will need to address. I say this as a crazy anti-work advocate.

Or no one has to work, but you are living at subsistence level.

A day in the UBI nightmare.

Janet Moore was awakened by the electronic alarm in her neighbors living cube. Her domicile contained 50 pods 10ft by 4ft by 4ft. There were 20 men's pods, 20 women's pods and 10 for couples in her building. The pods were stacked 3 high.

She turned on the screen in her cube and switched to one of the local news channels. "Riots in downtown again last night" the announcer exclaimed.

She padded down the hallway to the communal bathroom to relieve herself. A few bored looking souls populated the lavatory. A man shaving, a woman blow drying her hair. Janet grunted a "Good Morning" and made her way to the stall to do her business.

The stalls were always immaculate as the cleaning bot sanitized the toilet after each use.

After she finished her business. Janet emerged from the stall. Shower? Nah. She had washed yesterday and didn't think she stank that bad. Returning to her pod she changed into her government issued coverall. She received one coverall per year, one pair of sneakers, 3 t-shirts per year, 5 pairs of socks and underwear, a winter coat with a zip out lining every 5 years.

She chose the blue coverall. She had decorated it with homemade pins made from materials she had scrounged from the garbage heap in an attempt to personalize it.

It was a warm day according to the local weatherman on the broadcast. Well, he wasn't really a man. An AI simulation of the image of a man was more accurate. No matter. The information was undoubtedly correct.

She looked at her phone. 10:30 a.m. She had slept longer than she wanted. So much for breakfast. What to have for lunch then? Her government issued food app was good at any fast-food restaurant of her choice up to 2500 calories per day. She chose McDonald's.

She made her way down the street. The buildings were utilitarian, grey boxes. A few people sat out on the building's community porches. The occasional drunk or junkie stumbled down the street past her. Janet was not concerned. People, even drunks and junkies, learned quickly that if you caused a problem the security drones would be on you in seconds.

She approached the kiosk. " Try our new McCricket Burger with spicey Southwest sauce." The attractive avatar of a young woman chirped on a loop on the video screen. "Eh, why not" Janet thought to herself. "One McCricket, a Coke and a small order of fries" Janet said. The kiosk replied, "Hold your phone next to the payment box please". The app on her phone indicated that she had used 987 of her daily allotment of 2500 calories. "Your order number is 68, please proceed to the counter." The app on her phone displayed the same information.

As Janet made her way to the counter, she had to step around a floor cleaning bot cleaning a minor spill. Small utility bots were a part of daily life. Stepping around them was automatic for most people, the elderly would sometimes curse at them as they had not grown up with them.

Given the good weather she decided to take her meal across the street to the park. The parks were very safe. The ubiquitous security cams and police bots made sure of that.

She walked across the street and found an empty bench. She bit into the McCricket burger. "Not bad" she thought to herself "almost tastes like meat." If she could remember what actual meat tasted like.

She wished her calories allotment was higher. She could eat at better restaurants. If she had herself sterilized her UBI would increase by 20%. She still wasn't quite ready to pull the trigger on that. She decided to table the thought for another time and enjoy the park.

Janet thought, what to do with the rest of her day. Swing by the labor office to see if she could pick-up some gig work for a few credits or maybe go garbage picking for recyclable metals. Or maybe just sit in the park. At the end of the day, she could return to her living pod for an evening of Tittytainment. What would those Real Housewives of Buenos Aries be up to next?

Her ancestors had labored at jobs and had no time free time. "What a better life I have." She thought to herself.