Preview

Welfare Benefits

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
783 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Welfare Benefits
Government benefits provided to people with little or no income are referred as welfare benefits. The term "welfare" can refer to a number of different programs in the United States, but often refer to cash assistance. In some cases, this money may be used however the recipient wishes. In others, the money can only be used for specific uses, such as food stamps that can only be used to buy groceries.
The welfare state expands on this concept to include services such as universal healthcare and unemployment insurance.
To what extent are welfare measures necessary in democratic countries ? What can be the abuses and how could we solutionate those

1/ the importance of welfare
Health Care
A primary advantages of welfare benefits is promoting
…show more content…
Children must generally rely on the money that their parents are able to make. Welfare payments, particularly those that are directed for the care of children, allow children to grow up with better nutrition, medical care and possessions that make for a more comfortable standard of living.

Lower Crime
The provision of welfare has been shown to lower crime. Although some may argue that welfare constitutes a bribe, providing people with some income takes away an incentive to commit property crimes designed to provide the person with money or property. Welfare alleviates some of an individual 's economic need, thereby lowering crime and increasing the general stability of society as a whole.

Income Distribution
Another advantage of welfare benefits is that it more evenly distributes a society 's wealth. Some many consider this a benefit in itself. However, others may consider providing money to people who did not earn it to be unfair. There is, according to Arnold, a demonstrated correlation between income distribution in a society and that society 's stability. Societies with greater inequities in wealth generally suffer more social and political
…show more content…
While these may at first glance appear to be noble undertakings, there are some who suggest there are disadvantages of the programs, both to the individual and to society as a whole.

Among some of the majors disadvantages suggested is the high cost of these programs. Opponents of social welfare programs often argue that governments simply cannot sustain the cost of providing financial support to so many elements of society. Between 1984 and 2002, social welfare programs, including Social Security and Medicare, accounted for between 49 and 60 percent of federal government spending.

Disincentive
Pointing to Harvard University Professor of Economics Gregory Manikw 's "10 Principles of Economics," opponents suggest social welfare programs, particularly for the underemployed or unemployed, create disincentives for people to find gainful employment. Manikw asserts that people respond to incentives. For example, they work because there is an incentive to earn an income and support themselves. Social welfare programs risk removing this incentive by providing income for someone who is not working or who is unwilling to work, meaning they no longer have a need to produce.

Sponsored Links

Modèles de

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    When people think about welfare they normally think of Medicaid, WIA Work Investment Act, WIC Women, Infants, and Children and of course AFDC Aid to Families with Dependent Children now TANF, and HUD Housing and Urban Development. They tend to view it as the federal government giving away the countries money and the tax payers hard earned dollars to people who can’t support themselves. Most people do not like the idea regardless of what and some are sympathetic to the poor and think you should help if you can and are financially stable. They may wonder why they can’t support themselves, why don’t they work or go to school, why they are having all these children they can’t take care of. These reasons may vary. They could be a widow or lost their spouse, they could have been laid off from their jobs, or maybe their hours were cut as there could be many other explanations, but there are programs to help people get back into the swing of things such as training seminars, workshops, help with schooling and finding jobs as well as day care assistance, nutritional programs, finding housing and other needs.…

    • 1637 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The original idea of the United States Social Welfare System that was prompted in the 1930s due to the Great Depression, was that it would be a temporary program used to help those who recently became unemployed to get back on their feet. In a recent article by Hope yen of the Huffington Post, "Four out of 5 U.S. adults struggle with joblessness, near-poverty or reliance on welfare for at least parts of their lives, a sign of deteriorating economic security and an elusive American dream." If you look at it more closely 114.8 million families as of 2010 depend on welfare compared to 4.5 million families in 1996. The United States government should restructure the existing qualifications and regulations for any current and future dependents seeking assistance from government-funded programs due to the increasingly high rate of chemical dependency, financial instability, and fraud within the programs.…

    • 498 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The pro’s and con’s of today’s welfare system are debatable to no end. Some think it is working perfectly and the way the government designed it while others believe the distribution of it is being abused.…

    • 569 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    As mentioned before, a welfare state aims to aid those who are unable to establish a good live for themselves or their children. Although there are many European countries that provide welfare programs to their citizens, most welfare systems in these countries have several significant similarities. For example, welfare states in Europe attempt to commit to full employment, social protections for all citizens, social inclusion, and democracy. Because social welfare states in Europe attempt to reach specific goals, they have programs in place such as free health care and education that the United States does not. These programs in European welfare states often do meet the goals they were meant to reach and cause a significant amount of positive impacts in these…

    • 503 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Welfare Reform Ideas

    • 841 Words
    • 1 Page

    there is actually a fairly large list of welfare services provided. These services include cash assistance,…

    • 841 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The Department of Public Welfare is available throughout the U.S. It is known as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), (AFDC) Aid to Families with Dependent Children. When unemployed you might not be able to meet the needs of food, or money to buy clothes for interviews, or pay your bills. However welfare is able to provide you with cash assistance. This is where they can give you a certain amount of money that goes on a card and can be used for anything. Food Stamps or SNAP, is given when you can’t provide your family with a lot of food. This can be tricky because they have to know your annual income and have limits set that you have to meet and if you even go over a dollar you lose you benefits.…

    • 841 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Welfare is nothing new to the citizens of this country. It is a concept that arose over a century ago. Welfare was made famous by Bill Clinton, in 1996, and it has brought up much controversy. Arguments suggest the welfare system is highly abused by its members while others believe it is the answer to the nation’s poverty. Although the welfare system is state regulated, many people believe it is taken advantage of by underserving people. Often, people with nasty habits, sale their food stamp cards for extra cash, cigarettes, and drugs. Most of the time, these people have children that have to go without because their parent puts their government assistance towards unhealthy addictions.…

    • 1145 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Welfare is a very important topic in the United States, it is discussed, debated throughout…

    • 643 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Poverty is the root to Welfare. States need to find the cause of poverty and find a solution to cure it. When Lyndon Johnson launched the War on Poverty back in the 1960s, he intended it to strike “at the causes, not just the consequences of poverty”(Marshall & Rector). In addition, not only to relieve the system of poverty, but to cure it and above all, to prevent it” (Marshall & Rector). Welfare to Work is…

    • 601 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Welfare Reform Act of 1996 had three main purposes and several different opinions on whether they were going to work or not. The main purposes of the Welfare Reform Act were to reduce welfare dependence and increase employment, to reduce child poverty, and to reduce illegitimacy and strengthen marriage (Rector, R., & Fagan, P. F., February 6, 2003). Due to the abundance of opinions and opposing facts it is hard to tell whether or not which positive and negative facts are true when it comes to how effective these purposes were after the Welfare Reform Act was implemented.…

    • 831 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Food Stamps

    • 706 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The government has many funds going across the United States to help support the residents of its country. Food stamps, also known as SNAP (Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program) or TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) is a resource that provides people with a way to buy food if they don’t have the money to do so. This aid is given in different forms such as a LINK card, cash and/or paper that resembles money but can be redeemed for food.Most people that use this resource are having hardships in their lives. The USDA ( U.S Department of Agriculture) states that nearly 40 million Americans are being fed by this program.( "Food Stamps.")…

    • 706 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Poverty, the lack of money, goods, and support, has been a major problem for many people. There are millions of people in America living in poverty today. There are those that really need help, and there are those who can support themselves but choose not to. Where there is poverty, there is welfare. The financial help of people in need, welfare, has been around for quite some time. Some of the basic programs offered for those who apply for a welfare program in America are health care, food stamps, child care assistance, cash aid, and housing assistance. Many people living in poverty are on one, if not all, of those welfare programs. Welfare programs have a negative effect on America by sustaining the high poverty rate. “That is because the…

    • 1495 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Best Essays

    First, there are many types of welfare programs such as, but not limited to,: Food Stamps, Medicaid, Aid to Families With Dependent Children (AFDC), Women with Infants and Children (WIC), HUD homes programs and Supplemental Security Income or cash assistance. Children and truly impoverished people need the welfare system, but currently the requirements to qualify…

    • 1580 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Good Essays

    Welfare in America is one of the top issues that America faces today. Americans face a problem because instead of giving welfare benefits to people who truly need it, the government is just handing out money to anyone who ask for it. And in return it does not help the other problem America faces which is poverty. Federal funding welfare began during the the Great Depression in the 1930’s. The government created the system to help out families and individuals who have little income and who needed help. The benefits were known as forms of healthcare and food stamps. Welfare is a great program that assists many people. Although the systems motivates people to not nor even search for a job. Once people get dependent on welfare they now depend on…

    • 1135 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The debate over Welfare has been a hot topic in the U.S for many years now. Welfare in the U.S. started long before the government welfare programs that we know today. Welfare started in the early days when the U.S. colonies imported the British Laws. The laws made were established for those unable to work because of their age or physical health and those able to work just unemployed. When the Great Depression began, nearly 18 million elderly, disabled, and single mothers already lived at the bare subsistence level. Welfare does not benefit everyone, but who does it benefit? Welfare is meant to help the unemployed and also help is extended to the poor through programs that include Medicaid, called the Woman, Children, and Infants Program. Welfare…

    • 806 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays

Related Topics