We should be suspicious of a program likely to transfer wealth from poorer to wealthier households.

Here, we find common ground. There are many government programs purported to help the poor that are really just rent seeking money grabs by the wealthy. Section 8, for example, is one of these programs (the fact that it pays literal rent is coincidence, but it's illustrative). It serves to drive up prices for poor renters, while simultaneously encouraging apathy on the part of the landlord (he's getting his money no matter how much he disregards his tenants) and the renter (why would you care about a security deposit you're not paying?). I think there's an argument to be made that any substitute for cash that is labeled for a specific purpose (food stamps, for example) are much riper for abuse that actual cash payments. Cash payment allow for choice making on the part of the consumer, and thus offers them the ability to let business owners compete for their money. It's distasteful to many people to think what "those people" could do with "our money", but in a state where welfare seems like a necessity to many (and paid family leave is certainly a type of welfare), I prefer direct cash payments to earmarked dollars. As soon as this dollar is guaranteed to go to that good, lobbyists and politicians have a much greater chance to insert corruption into the system.