I am fine with welfare given out as cash if it is going to be given out at all. However, I think that any and all govt help should come with much more strings attached. For example, your kids should have to maintain a certain minimum level of grades and attendance in school. If your dumbass kids aren't learning to not be dumbasses, you don't get your check. Either you straighten things up a little or you just don't get assistance.
Incentives like that may actually push some of those abusing it into being able to support themselves one generation out.
I don't mean for this to encompass all welfare people in saying that all are cheating the system and using it as a bank for their lazy ass. In fact, I think this is over blown big time as the norm when I would think it is the minority. Not all poor are manipulators. Hell, my fam qualified for assistance when I was growing up. We didn't take it, but we could have. Since, I have my degree and my household income is 2-3 times the avg income. Proper education of one generation makes a huge difference.
Education is the key to lowering the reliance on this program. Unfortunately, education isn't something that can be solved in a few years.