On Fri, 02 Sep 2011 08:27:44 -0700, Dan Abel > wrote:


>I'm not sure what welfare is. OK, I'm not sure what other people
>consider to be welfare. Food stamps just help a little to buy food. I
>don't consider that welfare. Unemployment is an insurance program, run
>in the US by the states. It's not welfare. So what's left? They used
>to call it AFDC (Aid to Families with Dependent Children). It's not for
>adults. It's not for life, or "forever". It's for children. If you
>don't have children, you don't get welfare.
>

Here, we have several types of welfa

EBT/food stamps. This can be several hundred dollars per month based
on family size and income.

cash - Many people who receive food stamps also receive cash into an
account accessible via the same ebt card. They have two accounts. They
can use that cash for anything. Any item at a store, cash at a cash
machine, etc.

WIC - women, infants, children. They get formula and specific food
items as stated on each check. They can only get what is listed in the
specific check.

rent assistance. They can get really cheap apartments. The givernment
pays the rest of teh rent of the the property owner. They may end up
with a good size apartment for only $50. I think most are around $200
or so. Not really sure though how it is determined.

Free or cheap childcare

free meals for school kids - breakfast and lunch

Medical card - all medical care is FREE. This one is huge.



I would count unemployment as welfare for those people who use it as a
free ride. For example, people who make no attempt to get a job until
it is about to run out. Also, some people will work long enough to
qualify and then get themselves fired to get on unemployment. They
stay on it until it runs out, work awhile, and then get back on it
agian.

I would also consider those who abuse disability to be on welfare as
they are not receiving the benefits in a legitimate way. I have seen
people claim they can't work, yet they are perfectly capable of
working.

And then there are the people who don't include all their income when
they apply for benefits, or they don't include the other person in the
household who is earning money. My nephew's moth was on welfare for
several years while living with a guy who made good money. He was
actually thefather of her second child, but she never listed him. When
they got married, he "adopted" his own daughter. Yes, we should have
reported them, but she had full custody of my nephew. We would have
lost access to him.

That daughter is now 21 years old, and has never had a job. She posts
on facebook on a regular basis about how bored she is. It's bad
parenting and sadly becoming more common.