You mean she used a system she had paid into?

How is this not merely a personal attack?

A personal attack, or ad hominem, attacks the character, motive, or other attribute of the person.

One can be a welfare recipient and be of excellent character and the article doesn't question her character. The article also doesn't say that Rand's being on welfare was any sort of motive for any sort of act.

No one is questioning her right to receive welfare having paid into the system.

The criticism the article brings is her evident hypocrisy for taking welfare after criticizing it for others. That she clearly didn't need it, that she and her followers kept this a secret only adds to that hypocrisy. That hypocrisy has bearing on her thought leadership. Yeah, it really does.