do you feel the welfare system is being abused?

Question

It does bother me that some people get all their food, rent, insurance, education, etc paid for because some people really, really need assistance and cannot get it because somebody w/ 12 babies daddies figured out how to scam the system so they don't have to work. I feel the system is abused because how can someone be on Medicaid, get food stamps, be on Welfare and drive a Cadillac? That's not very fair, don't you think?

Answer 1

I'm wondering if chocowriter has ever lived among government assistance recipients.

Firstly, I would like to ask exactly what information the asker posted that is outdated according to you (chocowriter). Some people do indeed get free food, insurance, etc... Free rent? No, there's no free rent. But it's very little for many since low income housing charges 30% of the tenants' incomes. As of last I checked, rent is calculated by multiplying annual income by 30%, subtracting $500 per child, and then dividing that figure by 12 months. I have known women who paid no more than $20 per month in rent.

Again, what has the asker posted that is false? You could say that the asker is generalizing by mentioning "12 babies daddies", a "Cadillac", and so on. But I am fairly confident that she just mentioned these things as examples and not indications of the situation of ALL government assistance recipients.

Secondly, I would like to say that you are correct in saying that the laws have changed. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) is a federal program. However states are given grants to run their own programs, and they are given a great deal of "play room" so to speak. The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 instituted TANF (replacing the Aid to Families with Dependent Children and the Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Training programs).

I won't bother to get into the differences between the programs, however I will say this:

As I said, the states are given a lot of "play room". Federal law says that TANF recipients must work or look for work. Federal funds limit benefits to no more than 24 consecutive months and no more than 60 months over a lifetime. However, since states are given "play room", they are at liberty to implement their own limits. Some states have shorter limits, and some states have longer limits. There are some states who make exceptions because they don't want to "punish the children simply because their parents have gone over the limit". That being said, the fact that the laws have changed is not proof that the welfare system is not being abused.

Here are other things to consider:

TANF, foodstamps, medicaid, and low income housing are entirely different programs. One can benefit from one or more of these without qualifying for the others. TANF rules have nothing to do with the other benefits. TANF can qualify you for medicaid, but so can Supplemental Security Income (SSI). SSI is what people receive when they are either elderly or considered to be disabled and haven't earned enough work credits to qualify for Social Security Retirement or Social Security Disability. Anyone who meets state low income requirements can receive food stamps. And anyone who meets state low income requirements can qualify for low income housing if they are either single with children, considered to be disabled, or elderly.

That being said, your points about TANF are irrelevant. There are definitely people who are taking advantage of the system. Care to prove otherwise? Have you observed the women who work for a few months, quit, "lay up" on TANF, and decreased rent in low income housing, until Social Services starts to pester them, and then begin the cycle over again? What about those who have live-in boyfriends and/or roommates who are contributing to the household income? No, of course these types of people don't report the fact that there are others living in the household. Think others should report it? It has been done. Nothing happens. Want to know why? It's because it can't be proven. And, in the meantime, many of these same people are working "under the table" for a bit of extra income for the purpose of not having to report the extra income. So they receive food stamps (and WIC checks for some) based upon only that which is reported.

Many of these same people, although they don't pay much rent at all, neglect to pay their rent and then run crying to the Salvation Army and/or the Red Cross for assistance. Guess who gets help? Sorry to say, but, in many cases, it isn't the people who just lost everything to a fire or a storm... The recipients are often those who I've discribed- the people who pay very little rent but choose not to accept their responsibilities and would rather spend their money on 40 ounce bottles of malt liquor at the mini mart down the street.

How do I know any of this? Well, I am around these people constantly. I'm not relying upon government statistics, which is rather naive since statistics cannot be trusted. The "Welfare Queen driving a Cadillac" is not an urban myth. It is a stereotype if someone believes that such is a discription of all government benefit recipients. But I don't believe this. I don't believe that all government benefit recipients are "welfare queen cadillac drivers". And I don't think the asker believes this either since her question didn't indicate as such. Her question was merely one that asked about the abuse of the welfare stystem and didn't imply in any way that all recipients are "welfare queen cadillac drivers".

When I read this question, I was actually pleasantly surprised that it didn't involve race. I see people all the time here on Yahoo Answers who make race an issue with regards to government assistance. And it's refreshing to see someone who recognizes that the system is being abused without pointing a finger at a particular race. I thank the asker for this. I thank her for her open mind. And I agree with her- The system is definitely being abused. Do I think that all benefit recipients abuse the system? Not at all. There are many people receiving it who need it. But there are also many who receive it who DON'T need it.

Answer 2

I think every household should have to work. In single parent families the government should pay for a program for mass babysitting of these kids, while the mother works minimum 30 hours a week. If she still doesn't make a certain amount of money then the government should give food stamps and provide low income housing. But, these people, by recieving government assistance should not be allowed to own anything. Family allowence is another story. It's a good thing. If there are families who work hard or even if only the husband works. The extra money should be for to help enhance the family life. To help encourage people to raise children properly. Rich people should pay extra taxes because their jobs are generally more pleasant and rich people usually come from rich parents. I feel the family allowence is a good investment for tax money because the birthrate is declining and we need it to rise because of all the seniors. I know this is harsh but. I feel life support is greatly abused. I feel that people over the age of 65 should only recieve medications to be more comfortable not to actually stop thier illnesses. Just because it costs too much to keep them and at this rate people will live to be 100 and live off the government half their lives. Which, if you think about it is no more a benefit to society than the sexually libral women who have six children to five different men and live off welfare.

Answer 3

No, it's not being abused. The "Welfare Queen driving a Cadillac" is an urban myth, perpetrated by Reagan in the 80's under a totally different welfare system (AFDC) than we have today (TANF.)

Spending on welfare is less than 1% of our GDP. Data shows that overall, welfare recipients have 2 or fewer children. Under our current system (TANF) no one who isn't either employed or looking for work while enrolled in federal employment programs can receive any support whatsoever. There is now a cap (differing between states, but the average is 2 years) on how long a recipient can receive aid. Any sort of cash benefit is actually very rare and never amounts to enough to raise a family out of poverty. Most benefits are in the form of food stamps, the majority of which feed impoverished children.

And that's just for starters.

The information you hav provided in your question is grossly out of date by a decade, and mostly based on false information. If what you state were actually the case, then I would agree with you, but since it is so far from the reality, my answer must be: No.

Research the TANF laws in your state and if you should see anyone abusing the system, it is your personal responsibility to report it. The same way that police respond to 911 calls--fraud can only be acted on if good people take action.

Answer 4

I don't just feel it I know it. I know a lot of people who abuse the system. The welfare system was meant to be a hand up not a hand out. When I got pregnant as a teen my Husband said we should not go on welfare even though we were young and were in a crisis. I did so anyway to be sure my baby was taken care of. As soon as my husband got a job and made barely enough to barely get by, we got off on our own free will. We wer only on welfare for a few months. We have suffered financial set-backs every now and then, but we never returned to welfare. We were afraid becasue Welfare is often used as a crutch. We made up our minds to be financially stable and not depend on others for our existence, for over 14 years about he length of our marriage.

Unfortunatly I know so many people who are abusing the welfare system and it angers me. If my Husband and I at such a young age can do it so can everybody else.Some people have no pride or shame anymore.

Answer 5

First; I believe you should be an American to receive any type of assistance, this includes people from other countries with a paying job contributing to the system and are here legally!!!!!!If you have been on welfare for at least 5 years you should be required to have your tubes tied to something, to only receive welfare for up to 5 children if you started out with less when you entered the program. I realize there are cases that would have special circumstances but those can be dealt with on a case to case basis. NO ONE that is here illegally should even be considered for any of these programs even if they are paying into them. They are breaking the law being here illegally.

Answer 6

Yes, the system is definitely abused. I saw on a program a woman who had 3 sets of twins. Neither her husband or herself were working and she said she wanted at least 12 kids! What a way to work the system! The more kids you have, the more money you get. I have seen women (in the workplace) refuse to get married until they are done having children. All her maternity and children's medical bills were paid. It's just sickening and she was driving a newer car than mine!

Answer 7

No matter how "incorruptible" the system or how many myths are spread about it or how much supposed good it does for people, there is no justification for stealing from the honest and productive to support the non-productive.
Charity should be completely voluntary, not enforced at the point of a gun.
TANSTAAFL (There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch).

Answer 8

tHERE ARE PEOPLE THAT ABUSE EVERY SYSTEM THAT THEY CAN. wHETHER IT IS THE WELFARE SYSTEM, THE TAX SYSTEM, OR SOCIAL SECURITY. pEOPLE ARE PEOPLE. sCAM ARTISTS ARE NOT JUST IN THE WELFARE SYSTEM THEY ARE EVERY WHERE. TODAY'S SOCIETY BELIEVE IN GOT MONEY NOW AND QUICK BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY.

Answer 9

thank you

I worked with a girl who said welfare was keeping her and her child up because she felt cramped in her parent's house

wish I was a player . . .nah