Who determines that paying the value for Zakat al-Fitr serves a definite interest of the poor and that it is more beneficial for them than food; is it the giver himself, the ولي الأمر (ruler/guardian), or the Dar al-Ifta (Fatwa Council)?

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah is of the view that giving the value in Zakat (definition) is sufficient if it is more beneficial for the poor, or if the poor person requests it for the same reason. This also applies if giving the actual item is difficult for the giver of Zakat, such as if he sells the produce of his orchard and pays one-tenth of the money, or if a sheep is obligatory upon him but he does not possess one, or if the beneficiaries request the value. This does not require the ruling of the guardian.