Why do people think that all people on welfare are lazy?

Question

People get sick, fired, need to take care of a relative or just come on hard times... so why are they lazy. I mean I do agree that some people take atvantage of it and they live off of it when they could have a job but some people really do need it.

Answer 1

Good question. It's because people have the stereotype of a welfare recipient that's 500 pounds, sits watching cable and eating ho-hos and ice cream in their trailer and drains the taxpayers for money. Yes, these people exist. But it's important to remember that children, the disabled, and the elderly make up the majority of welfare recipients.

Answer 2

Its a perception that peole on welfare don't want to work. Now, yes it is true to some extent that there are people on welfare who work the system and can stay on welfare forever if allowed. But as you say, there are those on welfare who need it as a temporary aide until they get back on their feet.
Welfare is a vicious circle. Someone gets on welfare, and they find themselves supported by the system. They live in a low income area in a rundown house owned by a landlord that won't maintain the property.
The people on welfare can't see any light at the end of the tunnel, and lose their self esteem. They lack the education to find a good paying job, and therefore, don't get hired. And its not for a lack of trying.
They go home to their run down house and figure that there is no sense in trying because nothing will change. They stay on welfare until they are forced off.
They also need welfare because there are some medical benefits that go along with it.
Years ago when people may be able to afford to live on minimum wage with two people working was okay, but there was no insurance. With medical costs as high as they are, there was no way that someone could pay for a stay in the hospital. Once on welfare, its tough to go back to not having insurance. Especially where children are involved. People really don't want to be on welfare and they would rather work, but when they have children, their choices can be limited.

Answer 3

I don't believe anyone thinks that all people on welfare are lazy. If that were true you would hear a whole lot more complaining. There is however quite a large numbers who are lazy and capable of working, but won't and will use the system anyway they can to keep from working. But I agree welfare should be there for those that truly need it. Generations of families on welfare is not acceptable though.

Answer 4

True some people cheat and the make it harder for those of us who can't.

I have to live on welfare and I hate it. Sure I don't have to work and I can do what ever I want. I have all the free time to treat my medical problem. But, I am poor; you don't get wealthy on welfare. I am bored with life, there is very little that I can do. I don't see many people and the worst thing for me; I can't work.

My last job was my dream job. My most favorite activity is to draw drafting and construction drawings.

In school I had a drawing that was to take 8 hours. I didn't like the first version so I did it twice and I still had time to spare. When drafting became computerized I learned how to use the computer, I learned one of the most complicated programs ever; AutoCAD. When you see those computer animated cartoons then you have and idea of the program that I am talking about; Toy Story was done on AutoCAD software. I am not claiming to be able to create my own animated film, but in my field of drafting I am excellent.

I can't work though. The physical labor of going to work makes me too tired to do a good job. I get depressed and lose sleep and the less sleep I get the worse the problem gets. Meanwhile my entire life is filled with constant chronic pain. Imagine how you feel when you have the worst flu, how tired you are, how you can't sleep, and how miserable you feel. That is how I feel on a good day, and I feel like that every single day and will for the rest of my life. There is no cure for my problem.

I would much rather work, I would much rather be a normal person, I would much rather be off welfare. Am I lazy, well just like you sometimes I am. But, for me simple tasks like bending over are hard to do. I am hardly alone in this and there are a lot of people who are worse off than I am. But, trust me those that belong on welfare are those that wish they didn't need it. Because if nothing else it hurts our pride; we are failures and it is so bad that society has to pay for it. Try feeling like that and you will see that living on welfare is not the joy that you think it is.

I would rather be off welfare and be able to live a normal life. Just remember that my problem is just one of the many reasons why we have this fall back option. Criminals will always abuse the system no matter what you do, but those that truly belong on welfare are those that want off welfare the most.

Oh, just in case if you think I am faking. I had to go through 10 years of pain, trial, treatments, and all of them failed before I got on welfare. I have been hospitalized, I have been homeless, and I have been in a situation where I WANTED to have cancer, at least cancer can be treated, and you can point to it and say that is what is wrong. The sad part is that I am not alone, there are a lot of others and in many ways I am doing better than most. Just don’t feel sorry for me, I am disabled and I have accepted that. I have to live with it so please allow me some small scraps of my pride and don’t feel sorry for me.

Answer 5

It's difficult to quantify this opinion without coming into very politically driven motivations.

Conservatives, by nature, have a very rugged, "every-man for-himself" outlook of socio-economics while liberals feel much more social responsibility for everyone in the country.

The false assumption that conservatives make is that every man, woman, and child in America has the same chance to succeed as everyone else. This is clearly not the case. A single mother raising four children in a lower-income area certainly does not have the same advantages as an upper-middle class, college graduate.

So naturally conservatives tend to exaggerate and claim that all people on welfare are lazy, and liberals do their share as well claiming that everyone on welfare is in dire need of our help. The truth, as always, lies somewhere in the middle.

Does the welfare system need serious reform? Absolutely!

But I, for one, can sleep better at night knowing that a few of my tax dollars helped put food on some family's table.

Answer 6

I agree lets have a get real tuff season on all welfare abusers.

But, lets not throw the baby out with the bath water

Republicans say they are Christians and hate to help the needy
They oppose giving a decent wage to America's poorest workers, in the form of a good minimum wage. This drives hundreds of thousands on to the welfare system. When you can't make as much working 40 hours a week as those on welfare, it takes the motivation out of many of these people that have fallen threw the cracks that the republicans create.

Answer 7

I have three generations, soon to be four, of welfare recipients living next door.

Please tell me which is sick, none... Which has been fired, you have to have had a job once to be fired... Which is taking care

OH HeII you get the idea.

To the best of my knowledge, I only know three groups of people who are now or have been on welfare. The 15 or 16 who live next door. A druggie. And a lazy druggie.

If you contend that there is no fire, would you please explain where in the heII all this smoke is coming from.

I am the first one in line to help if you need a hand-up but if you are a 4Th to 7Th generation welfare recipient looking for a hand-out I could very easily euthanize you.

Answer 8

I agree. Republicans like to paint a picture of all Women as the "welfare queens" it's part of the dream world they live in. They think if they dream it that all people will think it's true. The facts do not ever bear out this Republican mentality. We spend $498 billion on "defense" which is mostly offense. How much do we spend on welfare. I follow GODS word, the Bible. The Republicans ignore it. "there but for the grace of God go I". and the Commandment "love thy neighbor as thy self" also applys. As to why Republicans hate women and children i do not know.

Answer 9

if you see a man on the street that is hungry, has no place to stay, and you have no money to give him. the question is, should you go to jail, if you walk over to me, because you know I have money, stick a gun in my face, take my money, tell me you will be back next week for more, all so you can help that hungry, homeless man? is the robbery you committed justified by your humanitarianism? Of course it's not. You would be arrested if you did such an act.
Great news. you don't need a gun or a weapon to rob me. Just vote for a democrat, he will do it for you. They will take it out of my pay, and if I don't pay, then they will send out men with guns to come lock me up and put me in a cage. All in the name of "charity."
Charity is money given freely out of kindness for your fellow man. It is not taken from you at gunpoint.

and another thing we are being told we need Mexicans to come up here and do jobs "Americans won't do." unemployment has been under 5% for 5 years straight now. there is no excuse to be on welfare.

I'll take my thumbs down now..

thank you

Answer 10

If they accepted the facts of who the vast majority of recipients of public assistance are, they would not be able to rationalize their opposition to it. Most of the modern conservative dogma can be boiled down to the belief that everyone has the same opportunities as everyone else, and everyone deserves what they have. So if you don't have a lot, you didn't work hard, and you don't deserve more than you have. If you do have a lot, you've earned it, and should get to keep it all.