Saw a chart several days ago showing how welfare has grown to $700 billion dollars per year. I may be way off base (seriously doubt it), but we should not be looking for new things to hand out free.
We need to gut welfare to the bone. There is presently very little incentive for folks to go out and look for work.
Trying to sell welfare cuts on that basis in an economy where few jobs go begging for long probably won’t be very successful.
But maybe a dedicated “work search phone” which can make and receive unlimited calls to and from business numbers (assuming a database of same was available) could make a lot of sense. Other calls (besides the legally mandated 911) would be possible but there would be a severe monthly quota upon them, or require the recipient to kick payments in.