Just a few random ideas I have bandying around my head,
I am always for teaching a man to fish instead of giving him a fish but there may be circumstances which are so great that he would not be able to fish for himself for a while such as when he is sick and that is when he needs fish given to him. That is my philosophy regarding the distribution of welfare. Only in the case when he is not able to fend for himself such as old widows or orphans with no closest kin do they become wrad of the state.
In the old days relatives are responsible for the welfare of fellow kin and clansmen but with the dissolution of the extended family this is no longer the case and thus have increase the burden of the state. The state must hold family responsible ofr the welfare of their own kin and only in extraordinary circumstances where they cannot to afford then only then does the state make them wards of the state.
In the case of the wards it may be that reliance will in the end breed dependence and such should not the the goal for it is only noble that all men learn to fish for themselves. Therefore welfare should not be distributed to any persons not making attempts to learn to fish such continuing their education in the case of teenage single-parents though the state should provide leeway in providing creche facilities or ensuring that mothers do not need to relie on caretakers that would take significant amount of resources so as to discourage them from continuing their studies and should the ward be working but yet earn not enough to feed the family. The state should give welfare proportionate to the amount he earns, so as to encourage himself to improve himself, for even in receiving welfare he is forced to improve himself, until the total reaches the threshold of sufficiency which must be adjusted for means, area and inflation. To him that works hard more will be given and thus should be the philosophy of welfare for in the current state one has no reward for working harder for all recieve the same amount of welfare depending on the number of people and should the state worry that with increased amount of capital the ward choose no to wisely invest then other mechanisms of motivation should be introduced, such discounts to buying healthy foods rather than junk or subsidies for such so as to encourage healthy eating that is realted with the increase ability for social mobility.
In this modern age the problem of a welfare system that is a hindrance to hindrance social mobility puts it in the league of the caste system and thus is not case originally envisioned by the founders of what we call welfare today, for they have envisioned one that will not hinder rather one that will be the vehicle to enable all men to claim responisibility and equality.