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Millions of Americans are enrolled in the welfare system; a program designed to give a boost to the poor and needy families to help them make it through the year while they got back on their feet. Unfortunately, it has now become a way of life for many. Many argue that welfare is now destroying our culture and creating dependent people who learned to abuse privileges that come with living in America . Welfare has become a target for gluttonous mothers and others who have no values or willingness to obtain a job. This definitely makes an impact on the needy families and people with disabilities who deserve to receive aid from this program. Mothers who sit around waiting for the next check to come in the mail and are not willing to do anything to help themselves or their families should not have the privilege of receiving government assistance. That is why there should be enforceable guide lines that are met to regulate how long people stay on the welfare system.
In earlier times of American history there were no welfare programs to help aid the needy. All America had depended on the charity of churches, and sometimes private organizations to help the poorest families. It was not until 1935 when President Roosevelt signed the Aid For Dependant Children (AFDC) that a program was put in effect by the government. This was a bill containing the original provisions of the welfare program:
The bill allowed $18 per month for one child and $12 for each additional child. The bill expanded on the infrastructure of state programs that had been set up as widow's funds'. Only single mothers received funds. At this time, just about 50% of those receiving AFDC were children supported by widows, 17% were children with an incapacitated father, 21% were supported by a woman who had been abandon by her husband and just 2% of children on the welfare rolls were supported by women who had never married (Snyder 1).
This bill continued to stay in effect until 1996 when President Bill Clinton negotiated with Congress to pass the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act which drastically changed the program. The program replaced AFDC by calling it the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). TANF was very similar to AFDC but limited the receipt of benefits to five years and with few exceptions made recipients responsible to find work as soon as ready, or no later than two years after coming on assistance. Bill Clinton's reform was criticized by many because they believed it was too much like AFDC and would have no effect on a change. Statistics show that:
There were 2,032,157 families receiving TANF cash benefits in June 2003, the most recent month for which data is available. The total represents a 0.3 percent decrease from March 2003 and a 54 percent decrease from August 1996, when TANF was enacted. A total of 4,955,479 individuals were receiving TANF benefits in June 2003, 0.6 percent fewer than in March and 60 percent fewer than in August 1996. From January 2001 to June 2003, the number of TANF families declined 5 percent and the number of recipients declined 9.2 percent ("Temporary Assistnace" 1).
Although statistics show that Clinton 's reform works, people are still continually abusing the system Recipients find new ways each year to prolong their dependency on the system. It is not fair to hard working tax payers who are giving their well earned money to greedy, lazy Americans that are able to work, but do not choose to. Mothers are the most common offenders among the many million Americans who receive aid from the government. Women easily cheat the program by simply having more children, by having more children means more money comes in the mail. They also live with partners, which according to the regulations are not allowed. In order to be a recipient, mothers eligible to receive welfare are to be single and be the sole support of their children. Drug and alcohol use are the two other ways that mothers could and will abuse the welfare program. Many problems occur when welfare recipients begin to use drugs. They tend to use their allotted money on drugs which leaves no money for taking care of their children. Their next step into deceit is to resort to getting pregnant because they know by having more children means more money. Pollack states in the "American Journal of Public Health" that, "Among 2002 National Survey of Drug Use and Health respondents deemed "in need" of substance-abuse treatment, welfare recipients were significantly more likely than non-recipients to receive such services.Controlling for other factors, welfare receipt was associated with higher prevalence of illicit drug use" (2024). This study shows how people on welfare are still abusing the system even with the reforms that have been activated and put into effect.
To show personal experience or occurrence with this situation would be an example my grandparents informed me of. My grandparents have a dear friend that lives next door to a woman who is collecting welfare. The row home she lives in with her three children and her boyfriends rents for approximately $1300. per month. But being that she is on government assistance, she only pays $24. a month. This lady does not hold a job and also gets food stamps and subsidized electric. She receives money from the government for her three sons. Critics on the opposing side may say that she might not have the skills to work. This is a totally false statement. It is a personally known fact that if someone is looking for a job that is on welfare the government will provide training and help that person find a job. This is a known fact because it has happened to my second cousins wife before they got married. The most ridiculous part about the welfare program is that the government is willing to provide help for people that are capable of working but are just too lazy to work. A more irritating situation is when a honest working family becomes a victim to hard, unfortunate times and requires assistance from the government but don't qualify to receive the help. Here is an example from the news; a father and mother are both working two jobs to make ends meet, they have a son who has a chronic illness that can not be treated because they don't have the money for pay for it. The government would not help this family in any way, so the married couple had to get a legal divorce so that they could say their son lives with and is supported by a single mother and she doesn't have enough money to pay for the bill. By the mother being single and having a child she was able to receive the health care. This situation completely makes no sense. Basically what the government is doing is allowing people to cheat the system just so their child can receive treatment. What is wrong with this picture? You would think that the government would be willing to help the family instead of putting them on Medicare which would go against their ultimate goal of decreasing the governments' responsibility for yet another dependent family. The government needs to re-evaluate and enforce their government assistance system.
In Clinton 's reform, "PRWORA permitted chemical drug testing. This allowed states to deny benefits to adults convicted of drug felonies, and allowed states to terminate benefits to illicit drug-using women who violated program requirements or who simply failed to find employment" (Pollack 2024). From the beginning of this reform, some states began to implement their state welfare programs to help illicit drug and alcohol abusers to receive treatment to able them entry into the work force. The state of California developed the "Cal-WORKS" program where "each county receives a portion of a 63.5 million dollar funding pool designed to help persons receiving welfare benefits remove alcohol and drug-related barriers to employment" ("California Counties" 1). Not only is the state of California trying to help drug abusers, but the "Governor of Illinois, Jim Edgar has proposed to reduce welfare program spending by 2.5 percent in the states fiscal year that begins July 1. He also is suggesting setting aside 3 million dollars in new money toward the establishment of a drug screening and assessment program for welfare beneficiaries" ("Illinois Considers" 4). If Edgar's proposal is approved, the state will require welfare recipients who have substance abuse problems to undergo treatment. The good part, state officials believe that beneficiaries will get off the public assistance treadmill and provide for themselves. The bad part would be for those beneficiaries who would have their benefits gradually decrease and have no intentions to cooperate with the rehab programs.
Welfare programs have proven beneficial in helping people and families that are in need. Because of the program's abuse, new state regulations were needed. Statistics show that the reform program implemented by Bill Clinton back in 1996 is working. It has succeeded in reducing the number of families and people on assistance. A quote from the Truman Show states, "we except the reality of the world who which we are presented." This phrase underlines what sociologist call agents of socialization. The book definition for agents of socialization is groups or social contexts in which significant processes of socialization occur." There are two types of socializations, the first is primary socialization which takes place in infancy and early childhood and is the most crucial period of culture learning. Children around the age of two tend to absorb a lot of crucial information at this stage. The family is the main source of cultural learning where they learn language and behavior patterns. If a child is born from a mother that abuses drugs and lives on welfare it is obvious to say that this child will be exposed to nothing but the environment they live in. This will start a family trend where everything is given for free and nothing is achieved. Children will have no incentive to achieve anything in life because they would not have the right support for their goals. The final type is secondary socialization which takes place from childhood to maturity. At this point other agents take over the family role such as peer groups and the surrounding communities. As children begin to develop into young adults, they start to be influenced by their surroundings and friend. Stereotypically, most welfare families live in subsided homes where there is nothing but government assisted families. This point refers back to the family where there is no incentive to make oneself better. No one peer involved in the young adults life will be able to support or encourage higher education because they may not have achieved that themselves. Not even the school could help the young adult because most teens will find school not important because most likely there parents dropped out or failed high school. So to them, there would be no need in school. The point is, if more welfare mothers keep having more and more children just for the money, they are just bringing more and more future government assisted people in the world. The children will not be able to see any other side of the world if they are trapped within that type of environment. The agents of socialization proves that the Truman quote is true that children are highly influenced by their families and environment. Without strict regulation, a vicious cycle will continue to grow with an increasing number of government assisted people. In the reform, Clinton allowed states to implement their own regulations to the program. Many states have introduced into their program assistance abusers. The results have clearly shown that the programs were helping, but if not regulated properly, many people will continue to abuse and find new ways to cheating the program. That is why enforcement of the laws that are already in place need to be applied and up held so that the numbers of recipients continue to decrease. The welfare program was implemented to help those who are in need of a little extra help until they can become a self sufficient individual and should not be allowed to be used as a source of permanent income.
Unfortunately you make some very valid points. I live in an area where there are many families living the welfare lifestyle. What bothers me most is that we have some very hard working low-income families who get little help. When they try to cut back (move to a cheaper place) to get ahead a little, their benefits are cut more. This never made any sense to me.
this is a good article. You have made points that are very true. it is sad to see people become so lazy and have to depend on other people to get things for them. I know a family that are on welfare and they have high speed internet, big plasma screen tvs and fancy cars. Their kids go to a public school and get the worst grades. I also know another family who is not on welfare that don't have heating (except the use of a wood stove), don't have a fancy tv with cable, they don't have high speed internet and their kids go to a private Christian school with the tuition being around 8,000 dollars a year for their 2 kids. Their mom and dad both work and they can barely keep enough food in the house. It is sad that it has to be this way that hard working people who care for their kids have just barely enough to send them to school to not have fancy items while people on welfare don't have to worry about a thing. The welfare plan was meant for only one reason and that is for those families that have been laid off or fired and can't seem to find a job for a long while, only then can they use welfare. That is the way it should be.
While you have made some good points, it would be helpful if prior to going off on a tangent and presenting an argument that you educate yourself enough not to come off as ignorant. Check your facts because you have made many false and inaccurate statements here.
» left by DSmith from Minneapolis (281 days 23 hours ago.)
I suggest to you that you also educate yourself regarding Welfare abuse.
I work in the Medical field and I see hundreds of cases of Welfare abuse and there is not a thing I can really do about it but possibly "Educate" others on just how much the Welfare system has been taken advantage of by a growing number of individuals.
If you knew just exactly what your hard earned tax dollars are paying for, some services that you or I would not be able to have becasue our insurance does not cover, you would feel a bit different.
If there is a problem with "ignorance" it is with those who choose to put their head in the sand and deny what is really going on.
With our current economic meltdown, we as Tax payers should pay closer attention to what is going on and speak up against any type of abuse.
We cannot afford to foot the bill for all the world!
» left by Jim brown from Bullard, TX (266 days 3 hours ago.)
Enough bleeding hearts and wasting of taxpayers monies. Stop ALL Welfare whether it is individuals, groups, businesses, local, state, national or Global. For real solutions and Laws Needed NOW to stop welfare Google 'Welfare Madness' and read comment by jimfromtyler
» left by sick of welfare (264 days 12 hours ago.)
I agree with you completely. My brother has had epilepsy for 24 years. Six years ago, while on his way to work he got in a very serious car accident and broke his L3 and L4 vertebrates. Doctors said he would never walk again. After two months in the hospital and four months of physical therapy, thank God, he is back on his feet. After ongoing battles to control his condition. Five months ago he was diagnosed with status epilepticus- a life-threatening condition in which the brain goes into a state of continuous seizures.
To get back to the subject at hand. Over the course of six years my brother has become $26,000 in debt from medical bills. He continues to pay for most of his doctor visits out of pocket because this insurance company won't cover his "pre-existing condition." After he was released from the hospital he tried to get on temporary and I repeat t-e-m-p-o-r-a-r-y disability and was DENIED. It blows my mind how someone who works their ass off and has hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes taken out of their check is just point blank smacked in the face by the US government. It's sickening, it @#$@#&*es me off and this is what I have to say about it. So here goes!
It's lovely that someone can be "disable" because they are "clinically obese." Only because they sit on the couch all day eating snack cakes and potato chips, (which they bought with their food stamps), watching soap operas on their 50" plasma tv (that was paid for by their welfare check) and wonder why their ass has ballooned to 500 pounds. Oh, and let's not forget that "single" mother of three who drops her kids off at the babysitter (that is paid for by the government) so she can go to the club. And if we're all lucky, afterwords, her drug dealer can meet her at her house (that she pays $30 a month for) and she can get knocked up again! (which will be paid for by Medicaid)
These people claim they cannot find a job because they have "no skill". It doesn't take skill to say, "Welcome to McDonald's can I take your order." The problem is, they think they are going to walk into a glamorous $100,000 a year job with no skill. All this makes me think about how much money is spent every year on people who are nothing but lazy! Think about where that money could and SHOULD be going to. Government assistance is a great thing and I'm not putting down anyone who receives it but, there needs to more to it then just going in and saying "I have a kid, check please."
There was once a day that times were tough...I ate Ramon noodles and PBJ and was glad for it. I did not have health insurance and so I never missed a day off work for I could not afford it nor could I afford to go to a doctor.
But I lived and am Thankful for every day for I DESERVED it
I totally agree. The welfare system is completely corrupt. I live in an apartment where an old lady has been living there for nearly 30 years and all she does is sits her penguin ass on the couch watching tv all day. Someone else in the complex told me that she's getting welfare benefits. But to me, why should she even deserve to get welfare checks when she's lazy? The people who really should be receiving welfare support are the veterans with medical conditions. Unfortuanetely, those people aren't getting them when they should be.
Anyone who knows the patel surname and other castes from the Indian state of Gujarat - Dahlia, Almola etc. , knows that these are wealthy people living under the guise of being economically backward. They are well versed in tax and immigration fraud and have a very strong community that supports their actions. They typically own grocery stores, liquor stores and other cash business. Avoid paying taxes and sponsor every relative to come to USA. They get food coupons meant for poor,they milk the welfare and tax loop holes to the full extent. The Immigrations services already blacklists them. While Indians in general are hard working and honest this business community fro India sticks out like a sore thumb
» left by hatehousingassistance from Austin, TX (122 days 13 hours ago.)
I LOVE to know that other people see that the "Welfare System" is being abused. I HATE that I have my tax dollars paid out for assistance that is abused and that I don't know something to do to stop the fraud that I think would make a difference. Working for a Government Assistance Agency, I can tell you that there are actually time limits. People do time-out of food stamps and TANF (cash assistance). Also, once a child in the household is considered school aged then the person(s) are expected to work at least part-time unless they or a child in the household has a disability. My peeve is Housing Assistance. Once you get Housing Assistance there is nothing that I have heard of that is meant to motivate someone to come off of it. You can live there forever unless you get disqualified for fraud or drug use or distribution. Have you seen some of the homes that people on Housing Assistance have? They are nice and in nice neighborhoods. I guess for a landlord it's a win-win because you get a guaranteed check from an agency instead of the resident. I just hate the idea that a person does not have to work in order to get the assistance. Most people I've seen sit at home all day or sleep all day and party all night with no worries. Can you imagine not having to worry about your mortgage or rent payment? To top it off most of these people also get a portion of their electricity paid for! As for reporting them to fraud...having them in trouble is not going to happen. All they say is that someone was visiting or the guy is a "friend" not the father of the children. It sickens me.
» left by Dawn from Gibsonton,Fl. (45 days 1 hour ago.)
No it was not! it's just a brush off to the blue ccollar people of this country going bankrupt while useless garbage like this live as well or better than we ever could. On what we work so hard for...thanks for nothing America!
Welfare is one of the biggest drains of government money around. I know that if you study statistics they say it is health care but how much of health care is actually due to welfare benefits. Why is it that for me to hold a job ( I have a B.S in Finance and a minor in international business) do I have to pass a drug test when the people who receive the money from my checks do not. I am currently living in Baltimore which seems to me to be the welfare capital of the world. I was in Walmart the other night behind a lady with 2, yes 2, shopping carts filled with complete junk. She had her dirty little baby who was only wearing a diaper in one of the carts. She checked out and paid with an access card which completely angered me. Then on my way out of the store the lady was driving a brand new Acura TL. That care is a $40,000 car! We need to start cracking down on welfare abusers the same way we do to drug dealers. I am sick of paying for low life people who live off the system while I work my butt off just trying to survive.
All I know is I am glad to see there are others in the "Real World" with me watching this abuse go on daily! There is not much I can add to the stories of abuse of the welfare system. I have no problem with it being used for what it was intended, and not a pay raise every time another child from a different sperm donor is born. I am just rather put out over the whole thing. Have tried to argue my case against this with a VERY liberal individual that thinks the new Universal Healthcare is a great idea. (If that even makes it through...IMAGINE the abuse these swindlers can do!) that finally resorted to profanity to argue their point.....end of debate. God help us....when did we learn to rely on the Government for our every need? I prefer to provide for myself, and them keep their noses out of my business...they already root their nose into my paycheck to help support this abusive, reliant lifestyle.
NO.....I AM NOT A WELFARE MOTHER, I AM A 60 YEAR OLD WORKING MOTHER OF TWO GROWN DAUGHTERS. I WANT TO KNOW HOW ARE YOU BEING GLUTTONOUS WITH A FEW HUNDRED DOLLARS, FOOD STAMPS AND A MEDICAL CARD. MOST PEOPLE WHO GET WELFARE DO NOT ABUSE IT> THERE ARE SOME THAT DO>THERE IS ABUSE IN EVERYONE THING WE DO>I WORRY MORE ABOUT THE WHITE COLLAR ABUSE (AIG) AND POLTICANS WHO TAKE LEAR JETS TO MEETINGS, TAKE VACATIONS AND GIVE MILLION DOLLAR BONUSES WITH TAX PAYERS MONEY, AND THEY CAN PAY FOR THIER VACATION. THE COUNTRY FELL APART BECAUSE THEY GOT TO GEEDY AND NOBODY IS COMPLAINING ABOUT THAT. YOU'RE COMPLAINING ABOUT A FEW HUNDRED DOLLARS WELFARE MOTHERS ARE GETTING, WHAT ABOUT SOCIAL SECURITY(CRAZY CHECKS) WHAT ABOUT THAT ABUSE?, PEOPLE ARE GETTING AS MUCH AS 1800 a month. THE MOTHER AND EACH KID GET A CHECK. THAT IS OVER THE TOP(ABUSE). IN THE BIBLE IT SAYS , WE AS CHRISTIANS ARE SUPPOSE TO HELP TAKE CARE OF WIDOWS WITH CHILDREN, FATHERLESS CHILDREN, THE HOMELESS AND THE POOR
comment on the post before mine. They should have never got our tax dollars in the first place then they wouldnt have spent them in the first place. yet again another thing the government has come up with that has failed
This really warms my heart about humanity. What do we need to keep the money for? I understand it is very important that you need a new plasma tv and its ridiculous that the government asks you to help a fellow human being eat but maybe if you struggle you'll survive.... Honestly.
YES, people abuse welfare. Such is humanity. We abuse everything good we can get our hands on. However. There is not that much abuse. If you look at real statistics... REAL... you cannot really abuse welfare. Go on the site for welfare. Try applying. If you have the slightest thing off.... you can;t get it. If you are merely disabled... forget it. Also, to stay on welfare. You do not just sit around. You have to work your ass off to stay on it, and must have a job. Don't just form close minded opinions based off of greed.
» left by Gregory from Texas (15 days 1 hour ago.)
I am a state employee who has just reached his peek of the abuse of this system. I have heard every lie there is and I have seen those who konw the system and know exactly what to say to get benefits and I can't take this anymore and I'm looking for groups who are ready to fight this issue. I know sides of this story that many of you will never know, such as a mother of 2 living in one of the most expensive communities in this city in a 300k home who looks you square in the eye and tells you, my boy friend pays for the house and all the bills and expenses directly to the vendor/company; but he doesn't live with us. She has no income and receives no income directly from him and therefore qualifies for every program we have and as long as he never changes his license to that address or put his name on a bill there, I can't touch him and she get full benefits. Yes, this system needs to change. For those of you ready to get involved you are more than welcome to email me and work toward ending these people draining our economy.
» left by Anonymous (59 minutes ago.) New Comment!
I'm writing a school project on contraversal topics, mine, welfare. I am against the current plan and hearing that you have been through jsut about every loophole in the current system, that really helps what Im doing right now. Thanks for some of the info.
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