Preview

The Pros And Cons Of Welfare Recipients

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
796 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Pros And Cons Of Welfare Recipients
There is still debate on whether or not welfare recipients should be drug tested if positive is not receive aid from the government. Before our tax payers/ society opinions can be affected, they must be presented background information on the issue and a composing of a few different arguments. One view is that by the recipients knowing they will be drug tested may prevent them from using drugs for the sake of their family. Another view is with testing positive may help that individual seek guidance in bettering their life style. A third view is the lost in money by implementing thousands of recipients to unconstitutionally preform a drug screening, also with the possibility is losing aid for their family. Two of these positions are in favor …show more content…
Welfare basically help families who can not support themselves. Welfare is not just given to poor people, but to the elderly, mothers, and disabled. The main goal of the government was to improve our society’s living standards. Welfare help comes in many programs such as Medicaid, social security checks, and the most popular food stamps. The government has many imaginable outcomes for this program today, but since the main concern is this poverty situation the government’s purpose is to end the dependency of the unfortunate. With that being said welfare recipients today are abusing this program which is used to help them grow to a better lifestyle not only for themselves but for their …show more content…
According to Points of View Reference Center, Florida’s mandatory drug testing program cost the state more than one hundred and eighteen thousand dollars, which was forty thousand dollars more than they would have gave to welfare recipients (View). In this case mandatory drug testing are useless because it will be a waste of money. The second part of this position will be if the recipient does fail a drug test he/she and family will no longer receive government aid. Which may result in the ex-recipient to act in illegal activities to provide for their

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    References: Walterss, J. (2012, March 13) Should Welfare Recipients Be Drug Tested? Governing: The States and Localities. Retrieved from: http://www.governing.com/topics/health-human-services/testing-welfare-recipients-drugs.html…

    • 566 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    We can also look at some of the views of people who are entirely opposed to the idea of drug testing welfare recipients. In 1999 Michigan ran a pilot program to drug test welfare recipients and was sued by the American Civil Liberties Union claiming that constitutional rights were violated because testing was done without “individualized suspicion.” Many other state such as Florida, Virginia, Ohio have all attempted to pass these bills but to no avail because already two months into this…

    • 580 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Drug testing has its pros and cons. One pro is that it would immediately take off any drug users who could use the money for drugs or other illegal substances; adding to that, it would give people the motivation to stay off drugs for themselves and their families if they want to still receive government benefits. Some people look at it like, if people are getting jobs have to get drug tested, why don’t the people receiving welfare have to?”(HRF, 2014). One of the cons for drug testing is that people feel like it is discrimination against the poor. The poor believe that higher up people who are considered rich aren’t required to take a drug test (HRF,…

    • 1965 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Drug testing welfare recipients has been a major topic across the United States for a few years now. Many argue that if working class people are subject to a test prior to hire or randomly during the length of employment, why should those that don’t have to work for money not have the same treatment? Invasion of privacy is a huge disadvantage on the government’s part, yes it is free money but that doesn’t entitle anyone, even government, to control every aspect of your life or hold it constantly over a person’s head until they feel guilt or just flat decline assistance. Let’s ask ourselves just one question; if you went to the bank for a car loan, being this is a necessity for everyday living to own, how would you feel if they asked you to take a drug test prior to lending you the money? I feel many peoples’ tune would change drastically.…

    • 1433 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The need for welfare among society today has become increasingly large. Although the need for welfare is rapidly increasing, so is the use of drugs. This is posing as a major problem for the welfare programs. Welfare programs are now trying to put into place a new qualification where any possible recipients of welfare are required to take a drug test. For the most part, welfare recipients respect the requirements of their contract with the agency. The drug testing will just be used to eliminate any persons taking advantage of the welfare program for inappropriate use and to ensure that the welfare will go to the people who are actually in need of it. While many are more than willing to take the drug tests, there are also quite a few who are very reluctant toward this new qualification. In order to decide whether or not drug testing is a logical and fair requirement, all the pros and cons need to be laid out on the table.…

    • 1226 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    When considering effective ways to cut government spending, each state should start requiring mandatory drug testing among all its welfare recipients. Cutting welfare benefits to known drug abusers will allow benefits to be doled out more effectively and efficiently to those Americans that are truly in need, diminish drug use in those poverty stricken communities that tend to rely on welfare assistance and take a chunk from the government’s out of control spending.…

    • 696 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    1.) Having to pass a random drug test could prove to be served as an incentive to welfare recipients to terminate masses of drug abuse…

    • 2713 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Secondly, drug testing will require recipients to stay free of using drugs. If people really need the assistance money then they will chose to either stay clean or get help to get clean. Recipients who fail the test or simply refuse to take the test will not receive an assistance check and without the welfare money people will not be able to afford drugs. Therefore, drug testing welfare recipients would help clean up illegal drug use…

    • 444 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    In 1996, the Welfare reform Act gave all the states permission to impose mandatory drug testing a prerequisite and guideline to receive and qualify for welfare benefits. Since 1996 there have been numerous states that have argued this idea within their house. Recently Governor Rick Scott, R Florida, states “ It's not right for taxpayer money to be paying for somebody's drug addiction, On top of that, this is going to increase personal responsibility, personal accountability. We shouldn't be subsidizing people's addiction." (Scott, 2011). The state of Florida approved this bill that took effect July 1, 2011. Governor Scott also stated "It's the right thing for taxpayers," Scott said after signing the measure. "It's the right thing for citizens of this state that need public assistance. We don't want to waste tax dollars. And also, we want to give people an incentive to not use drugs." (Scott, 2011) Florida is not the first state to pass this law; Michigan passed a similar law but was found unconstitutional in 2003. The court states that the law was in violation of the US Fourth…

    • 932 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Not all welfare recipients use illegal drug. Actually, statistics show that the use of illegal drugs is slightly higher among unassisted families than assisted families. “The prevalence among persons in assisted families (9.6 percent) is higher than among persons in families receiving government assistance (6.8 percent)” (NHSDA). The problem is not who is using drug but that welfare recipients should not be given money from the government to pay for their drug addiction. People with history of drug convictions or drug history should be drug tested before receiving welfare benefits. Drug testing welfare recipients would save the United States Government because welfare recipients that submit a faulty drug test would be cut off from benefits for a year, saving the government money. One drug test cost from $10.00 - $50.00. Yes, that can add up, but it is better than the government spending on average $44,400 per year for a low income family of four (Rector, Robert, Katherine…

    • 879 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The uprising of unemployment and welfare is exceeding previous predictions and not many states are keeping up with them. Drug testing for welfare is unconstitutional and unfair because not everyone abuses the system. Not everyone uses the money they get for drugs. Some families really need the money while others use it for their own selfish needs instead of the needs of their families. Drug testing only leads to spending more money than its worth. An editorial in a USA Today article took a hard look at the recent push to drug-test applicants for public assistance across the country. They agreed that, "Until states can come up with a smarter way to ferret out the abusers while protecting children, the testing craze will be just another program that appeals to stereotypes in hard economic times while producing little value in the real world." As USA Today argues, there 's little evidence that programs to drug-test applicants and recipients of benefits are necessary in places where these programs have been implemented, few people have tested positive. And if the goal is to save states money, they fail on that count too states save very little compared to the upfront costs of implementing testing programs. Not to mention, these programs perpetuate the inaccurate notion that poor people use drugs more than others and single them out for unconstitutional privacy violations. Sadly about 20 states have implemented drug testing for welfare but they are gradually realizing how wasteful and unfair it really is so they are starting to take away the tests.…

    • 656 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    There are many pros and cons of drug testing people on welfare. According to State Drug Testing Requirements for Welfare Recipients, by Abby E. Schaberg that drug testing people who want to apply for welfare would be considered as an unreasonable search and therefore violate the Fourth Amendment. However, the constitution of such laws has yet to be definitively determined. Legislatures in at least 28 states are considering drug testing applicants or recipients of the public assisted programs. Recently, Florida became the first state to require adults applying for cash welfare to undergo drug screenings. In this same article the Florida Gov. Rick Scott defended the new rule by arguing that:…

    • 273 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    There are many pros and cons of drug testing people on welfare. According to stopthedrugwar.com, lawmakers in several states want recipients to submit to random drug testing. Legislatures in at least 28 states are considering drug testing applicants or recipients of public assistant programs. Recently Oklahoma enacted a “drug testing law” another bill awaits the Governor’s signature in Tennessee. As you may have already heard, Florida recently became the first state to require adults applying for cash welfare assistance (i.e., not food stamps and housing assistance) to undergo drug screenings. Florida Gov. Rick Scott defended the new rule by arguing that:…

    • 834 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    As a result of mandatory drug testing for TANF and SNAP recipients it will not only resolve the cases who abuse the benefits it will help the families and the people who need it more then to just fill a drug problem. Of course saying a recipient is using the benefits to buy drugs is stereotypical, but that’s where mandatory/random drug testing is a good thing. Parents who work two jobs who have to choose to either pay the utility bill or buy food is who need these programs the most. Not the ones who get this “free ride” for having kids and not wanting to provide for them from the…

    • 469 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Welfare Arguments

    • 1888 Words
    • 8 Pages

    When people think of welfare many people think about it differently. For most people they think its money that helps those people who are struggling to get by and need help. In today’s society there are more people who use their welfare money to buy drugs instead of diapers and food for their children. When considering effective ways to cut the governments spending, each state should start requiring mandatory drug testing among all of the welfare recipients. Cutting welfare benefits to known drug abusers will allow the benefits to go to the people truly in need of help, lower the drug use in the poverty stricken communities that rely on welfare assistance and cut a chunk out of the governments out of control spending.…

    • 1888 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays