I assume you have Rawl's conception of justice as fairness in mind. The notions of need, ability, and effort are elements of a desert conception of justice. Both conceptions of justice are deontological, but Rawl's conception is not desert-based.

Thanks a lot Prof. Risser for the opinion shared. Your point is well noted and very much appreciated

You are very welcome. It is also important to note that the principles of "justice as fairness" apply to the basic structure of society, not to individuals. Most theories of justice, e.g. Aristotle's, do have individuals as the primary locus. In this respect, Rawl's theory is similar to Plato's attempt to illuminate justice by looking at its features, as he does in The Republic, at the level of the whole society in order to better understand it at the level of the individual.