The Program, The Legend

Practically all my life I've heard people speak negatively about the welfare program, and coming from a small, low income town this always shocked me. But I guess the abuses of the system are more apparent when you're in a rural area and you know each and every neighbor and ALL of their business. What really perplexes me is why do so many people hate the welfare program? Constantly comments are made about paying for these "lazy" people's taxes or that it's all going to illegal immigrants, but is that actually the case? Can people really just have another kid and make some extra income?

Some truths lie in the above, for example Welfare used to be known as Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC),thus increasing your assistance with each child, but in 1996 Bill Clinton proposed legislation that changed ADFC to Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. This, in the words of the 42nd president, would "end welfare as we know it," and it did in many ways, but some people still hold on to those old notions of an idle-able body mooching off the system.

Truth: Workfare (today's welfare) has a 5 year limit on benefits
Truth: Workfare recipients must work 30 hrs/per week after two years of benefits
Truth: Since the passage of workfare the number of people on workfare/welfare has decreased

The people on the "welfare system" are living in poverty, to suggest that many of them enjoy this life style is absurd, and to alleged that they keep "popping out children" in some revenue raising scheme is nonsensical since the child would cost far more than any available benefits.

Often the problem is those two or three people we know that just seem unwilling to help themselves, and so we grumble that they are the reason for our high taxes, surely if they weren't receiving assistance we would have and extra 300 or 400 hundred dollars in our paychecks. Although the many billions being shipped off to Iraq might...


Welfare: aid in the form of money or necessities for those in need

Government Funded Welfare Programs:

Social Security
WICK (program for newborns provides formula, diapers, etc)
Unemployment Insurance
HUD (helps people afford housing)
Student Aid

Click here for a list of government funded programs, chances are you have or will one day receive some form of welfare, and I'll bet you'll be thankful it's there.