Why does the government provide benefits in-kind? Why don't we just give money to low-income people?

Benefits in-kind address the paternal aspects of government. The government's general policy is to provide food, shelter, health care, etc. to low-income people and not money, so people can purchase these items themselves. There is a suspicion that these individuals would not use the money to purchase items that they should value and instead would buy items they should value less.