Is it permissible to give Zakat al-Fitr in money equal to the value of the prescribed amount of food, especially since a sum of money may sometimes be more beneficial and useful?

Scholars differed on the issue of giving the value [cash equivalent] in zakat (definition). Some, like Abu Hanifa and al-Thawri, absolutely permitted it. Others, like the majority (Malikis, Shafi'is, and Hanbalis), prohibited it. Still others detailed the matter, permitting it in cases of need or overwhelming benefit, such as Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah. Meanwhile, some differentiate between Zakat al-Fitr and other types of zakat, permitting it only for types other than Zakat al-Fitr. The more cautious approach is to give zakat from its legally prescribed type, unless there is a necessity.