Does anyone out there agree that people collecting welfare should be doing community service 20+ hrs per week?

Question

I would only suggest this be a requirement for the welfare population who are of course mentally and physically able to do this. I'm sick of working to support others!

I too, am a single Mom, work, juggle running the household, dividing up the paycheck to pay the bills, handle daycare, drop off and pick-up, etc. I am not trash, nor am I 'high or upper class'. I see way too much advantage being taken of the welfare system. If they are collecting welfare, how do they drive fancy cars, get their hair and nails done, sport around multiple tattoos, and afford designer clothes? THATS MY POINT!

Answer 1

Yes, I would agree. It would give them a chance to broaden their world a little. Sitting home with the kids all the time can really shrink it. (Just speaking from my experience with people, not referring to all on welfare). Besides, getting back into the flow of living can also be revitalizing on a deeper level, and even refreshing. Just being "out there" can have some really positive effects.

Answer 2

The concept is fine but the reality is very difficult. Will the people on welfare with young children bring their children to the service? Who will supervise this service? How will they get to their assignment? What will untrained people do that will actually be of service?

Just as in the prisons, it turns out that much of the time that trying to get work from people who don't want to and don't know how, costs more than welfare.

The problem is that governments are not good at this and should get out of the welfare business and give it back to do-gooders of all stripes. In my church congregation we actually have a policy that we will ask everyone that we help to work at something. It is often hard for us to make this work, but we have a much better chance than some state or federal government agency.

Answer 3

obviously you have a knowledge about this area of social & human services that Ive never heard of at least not in the last few years.
It is rather difficult to get welfare these days,and the bulk of who is getting it might supprise you.
So no I dont see the point in making those in an already bad situation work community service for welfare mainly you say due to some who are able bodied workers.
just being able bodied doesnt help those who have no degree or technical know how,or simply cant get a job-they have a family they need our help.

Answer 4

Yes! I agree they should have to do community service. And I have wondered why this was not a requirement years ago. This should not be a free service and there is no reason why they could not do community service. To get grants for some educations you have to provide community service at some point. So it only makes sense that to receive welfare it should be a requirement.

Answer 5

I think it depends. I knew a mother who was on welfare so she can take care of her five year old while going to college. She and her daughter took the bus everywhere. In her case she's working to get off of welfare and provide a better life for her daughter.

But the ones that do nothing should do some community service,

Answer 6

Sounds like a good idea to me. I also think that welfare should have a time limit, say 2 years. Within that time you should be able to get a 2 year degree, paid for by the state, and get a job. Furthermore, welfare would only be available for the first child, we all know how babies are made, if you screw up and get pregnant a second time it's on you and welfare stops immediately.

Answer 7

I think putting people on welfare robs them of their dignity. I do think that if someone is going to be on welfare, it should be, as another answer suggested, for a limited amount of time. Another thought that probably won't be very well accepted by most of you....if you can't afford kids, don't have them. When I got married, we were flat broke. We took whatever jobs we could find to make ends meet. We didn't have kids until we knew we could provide for them. There certainly are exceptions to this, job loss, domestic violence, etc., and that's where the temporary support comes in.

Answer 8

well I think instead of doing 20 hours of community service they should do 20 hours of searching for work thats what they do in california. In order to collect welfare they have to look for work and if they dont no welfare check.

Answer 9

This idea follows a common stereotype about people "on welfare", which is that people take the help because they are unwilling to work. Single women with children may not be working for many reasons, including the lack of affordable and adequate childcare, the inability to put a special needs child in childcare, the demands of family and school, transportation issues...I can keep going. If you require someone to volunteer 20 hours a week to keep the meager check that keeps the lights on, who is going to watch their children? And is this going to deter them from doing the things necessary to find gainful employment?

Answer 10

It is walfare that keeps people on welfare, most of families on welfare are single woman. I will tell you a story, my daughter who has 2 young children and was in the worst of worst relationships came to live me, I told her she could live with me if she went into some kind of training program so she could support her children and she also had to get a job. She was on food stamps at the time and receiving (get this $40.00 a week in child support if you receive child support you do not get money). Well she went back to school and got a job, ($7.50), also she was able to get childcare vouchers. They cut her food stamps, so she was no longer receiving food stamps. That was OK, she was living with me and we split the food, and she was helping with the bills making a car payment and helping out with the auto insurance. At Christmas she had the opportunity to work over time she jump at this because this would be the first Christmas she could afford to buy her children a few gifts. (I had always bought the kids Christmas, so they had never gone without). But because she work the over time and it put her over by $50.00 she lost her child care vouchers. Her family was settling the kids love their daycare. She ask what do I need to do to get the vouchers back because she could not afford childcare, The answer quite your job, do not get any child support and go back on welfare. She had to quite going to school and look for another job. So this is not about community service for young woman who need some help this is about a system who keeps them down.