I bet all the items needed wouldn't be covered. It would turn into just another horrible bureaucracy with vendors over-charging the government, and the shelves empty half the time.
People on welfare feel also feel a considerable squeeze from government services now because aid is usually on a short timeline ("you only get support for x months..."
while it takes forever to get appointments and for vouchers to turn around. But, worse, when I see what vendors have charged for something, I'm just amazed! I know the State charged $500 for my eye exam (part of being qualified for services) because I was accidentally billed for it. WTH! I could have been paying rent with that money.
From outside the system, you want to implement something like this to keep poor people from "wasting" discretionary funds. But the real drain on taxpayer money comes from this refusal to allow the poor to make their own choices: then the money doesn't go to help the poor - it gets sucked into bureaucracy, waste, and possibly fraud and corruption.
The most efficient way to handle the problem is to simply give people money for necessities or an easy job that "pays" them enough for necessities, while leaving them able to apply for a real job. My housemate suggested mandating that people on welfare attend PAID work training/classes. Showing up keeps them work ready and socialized, and as long as they keep showing up, they have bus money to come the next day. I thought this was a nifty idea: and the "rate" paid should reflect minimum wage so people wouldn't feel like welfare slaves. In a way this would become extended "unemployment insurance": except the rate would change from a fraction of your previous wages to minimum wage, and you would be required to show up at this class to get it.
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