Not really — meritocracy would thrive most in the equal opportunity environment, and welfare is the exact opposite of that.
When you give money just to the poor and unemployed it basically penalizes employment and self-development oriented at being competent in the free market
If you are hellbent on redistributing tax money, look at the UBI programs — it's way more balanced, you don't get confusion and conflicts about who's entitled to the cheque, and most importantly it provides means and an incentive for growth