Welfare Then And Now 2

Welfare Then and Now Central Piedmont Community College Natiela Wilson January 29, 2015

Abstract In the United States welfare is known or referred to as a government welfare program. This program was put into place to help individuals who are unemployed or underemployed. Welfare has a lot of different programs that are formed to help certain individuals. Programs such as Children’s, women’s, and infants program also known as (WIC), Medicaid, (SNAP) know as food stamps, and childcare resources which helps provide daycare for working parents. These programs were again designed to help individuals get to a place in their lives where they would no longer need them. As the years went on the programs that were once set in place to help individuals become self-sufficient has now turned to programs that are being depended on. Today welfare has changed and there are now new rules and stipulations on receiving services and the government is now working hard at getting individuals self-sufficient again.

In the beginning the welfare program between the Franklin Roosevelt administration and the Clinton administration. The welfare program offered participants assistance with few requirements or time frames. All states were able to enroll as many people they wanted to and the government would match their funds. In 1996 a new law was passed which took away federal matching funds this gave states little incentive to bring people into the program. Now welfare today is not like it was back then. Working individuals are complaining that while they are working hard for a living, individuals on welfare are living the good life and they feel all their tax money is going to the welfare system. Some people find the system embarrassing and degrading so they rather not deal with it so they work for a living. There are so many arguments on why most people feel this system doesn’t work. One of the main arguments is that it does not encourage work. Individuals who work believe that one way to encourage work is to cut off cash assistance. They feel this will push welfare percipients to go out and look for jobs. By them receiving cash assistance it is allowing them to stay home and live off the government. Even though this sounds like a great plan to end welfare, you have to still consider the individuals who don’t have much education. If welfare were to terminate cash assistance it could push some individuals to become homeless. Some individuals don’t have the education to go out and look for a job and most do not meet any of the job requirements of today, most jobs want you to have a G.E.D or high school diploma. Over 100 million people are on some form of federal welfare. Food stamps and Medicaid make a large and growing portion of welfare. If the welfare program continues the way it is this program will drive the United States into bankruptcy. There are some ways that the government feels can prevent the high costs of welfare. Although there has been certain stimulations put on certain programs it still has not helped the growing cost of welfare. Charlotte/Mecklenburg County offers several services and programs provided and funded through the federal, state, and county revenues. Mecklenburg County provides services for children, adults, disabled and the elderly. These services include but are not limited to work first which provides parents with short term training and also other services to help that parent become employed and self-sufficient. This program if successfully done will help the work first precipitant not just become self-sufficient but will be free from long term welfare dependence. Adult Medicaid help individuals with medical bills such as doctor, prescription drugs and hospital bills. Individuals who are eligible are children under 20 who are living in single parent homes, parents caring for children under age 19, and pregnant women with or without children. Food & Nutrition services provides assistance to individuals with limited income and resources, Adult social work assistance provides adult protective services, in home aides, transportation, and meals on wheels for the elderly.
Even though welfare was meant to help everyone. The black and Spanish Latino minority has seem to take control of the welfare system not only are they the most populated race on welfare they have also made this a living habit, constantly abusing the system from generation to generations to come The black minority make up 32% of welfare and even though they compromise a mere 12% of the U.S population. Welfare abuse is a severe problem across the country. Every year millions of people receive government assistance and tax payers continue to be robbed of their money. What was once a system to help individuals, became a career. Right now welfare and other assistance programs are a self-perpetuating burden on tax payers. Welfare reform is necessary for the financial and social security of our country. When welfare was created, it was meant to be a temporary measure to help people get back on their feet. For example, children who’s lost a father would receive welfare only while the mother goes out and look for a job. This system as of today is not working.
I personally don’t think that welfare should be completely cut off, because there are individuals who are on welfare who are not capable of working, such as grandparents who are taking care of their children’s children for whatever reasons. Some individuals are not mentally or physically capable to be self-sufficient. I think this is a great program for the people who need and use it for the right reasons. If it wasn’t for these above reasons I would say abort welfare. It’s when individuals abuse the system that cause the most problems. Welfare creates a culture dependency, taking away from its recipients. By what right can someone who works for a living, who has his own family to worry about be required to support a family who is not working. There are too many families who are on the system and have been for years. If they are going to continue to have the welfare system then they should at least have better requirements and stipulations to be on the program. So many families are using the system for a life time. There should be a limit on receiving certain welfare assistances, such as public housing or section 8. Individuals abuse this housing assistance program for years and they stay on it until they die, not giving the next generation a chance to grow off the program. There should be an overall 10 year grace period for all programs for all participants except for the mentally ill, elderly and the disabled persons. This I feel is enough time for each individual to make a plan for their future. So there should be goals and programs set into place, such as completing college, obtaining a great job/career, and buying a home. This will give the next generation the same opportunity to better themselves. Putting a 10 year grace period on these welfare programs will put a little pep in their step for the ones that are able to work and make a decent living on their own. Once they know that they have a time limit they will not waste any time trying to get themselves together to provide a better future for their family and to live compatible in society. Utilizing the steps I have provided will not only assist individuals on the program but it will also help reduce taxes for the working class. Also utilizing the 10 year program I provided will give the family a foundation so they will become successful individuals in society and will show the generations to come that being on welfare is to assist you and not enable you to be on the program for a lifetime. I know there are more major issues concerning welfare but we have to begin somewhere and I believe this is a great beginning.