Avira > If we can get around it legally and halachikally, there’s no issue.
Are you suggesting that if we are not using one of the government benefits, then we are entitled to “get around” some other issues?
I do not agree with the premise. You may also not use flood insurance because you live on a hill, or subsidies for veterans because you did not serve. Why does that matter? We live in a country that treats are favorably, better than many many places we lived over centuries. Now, just because you are paying too much property tax or disagree with some government decision, you have a license to misbehave?
2nd, you are free to use some public funds for education. I believe a lot of schools use early education/Title something/transportation/meals and whatever they can get. We are also using charity write-offs for some expenses. I personally, and a small number of yeshivos and BYs, use publicly-funded online education and wherever there is a chashash with the materials, kids point it out before I do.
3rd, I guess we need to define “get around”. Please clarify. It is clearly OK to organize your finances to minimize taxes. Possibly to organize your business profits so that you look poorer on FAFSA. How about SNAP? There are usually requirements for job training and placement. Does this mean that you participate in job training if you, say, fully capable of finding a job? I don’t know whether this is “legal and halakhic”, but does not sound right for me.
Last question that we mention above – we have classical sources rejecting non-Jewish charity (and not using Jewish charity when not needed). Do we have modern poskim addressing how to view modern state payments in this respect.