Avram > What makes income based benefits different?
First problem – many, maybe not all, income based benefits require or at least presume that the person gets them only if/when he is not able to find work. Details seem to vary by program, presence of children, state, and year, but this is how society generally understands income-based benefits.
2nd problem – Y’D, not just Rambam, paskening not to take non-Jewish charity with wording “not to depend on people”. See precise loshon above.
I am pretty convinced that these questions deserve consideration for specific people and for communities, when it becomes public knowledge, and that answers may be complex and not the same for everyone. I would like to see some sources that explain the permissive position. So far, I found a short line from R Henneman, and a Vaad responsa that we agreed is not a serious source. At least, these mean that there is a question to answer. Please help me with the sources.
Mu inartful/exaggerated communist comparison was about people taking funds and mis-directing them to the purposes the givers did not intend. Government openly making decisions is a normal indirect democracy. We ain’t greeks.