No, this is wrong. The people already receiving government checks do so with a stipulation: if you start receiving money from anyone else besides the government

No, this is wrong. The people already receiving government checks do so with a stipulation: if you start receiving money from anyone else besides the government, then the government will stop sending checks! This works to disincentivize people from contributing their time and effort to the economy for fear they will lose the "basic income" that the government provides. A real basic income is different: the governments says here is a check that should meet all your basic needs and then some and please feel free to do whatever you want with your time, including contributing it to the economy by starting a company, interviewing for a job you actually want, or what have you.