The last thing we need is more dependence on the government IMO.
There truth in the old saying; give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, teach him to fish and he will eat for a lifetime. Government handouts do nothing to help elevate people. Instead they enslave people to the government.
Where I think the government could really help people would be to offer free or subsidized tech training programs. Invest in people and help them grow their skill sets. At the same time make financial responsibility classes part of the program and teach people how to budget with the money they have.
Far to many people live paycheck to paycheck because they have absolutely no idea how to set a budget based on the income they earn. I know people who earn $100k a year that have filed bankruptcy. Give me a break, you make $100k a year and can't figure out how to pay your bills.