My Perspectives On Social Welfare

My Perspective's on Social Welfare

For a long time now, since the accomplished formation of a stable government, the United States has had the programs and laws that either dealt with issues of the family. Many of these "family" programs and laws currently that are currently in place today are frequently and commonly debated. One of the most debated and most labored over "family" program is welfare and whether or not the program should be cut or eliminated all together.

Welfare is a government program that provides money, medical care, food, housing and other things that people need in order to survive. People who receive help from these programs are children, elders, disabled, and other who cannot support their families on their current income. Another name that is often used for welfare is public assistance. The funding from the government helps many people who live below the poverty line, an income level that is established for families. If your income falls below this set line then you will be eligible for assistance from the government.

There are about sixty public assistance programs that assist poor people in the United States. Most people receive help through one of the four major programs. These programs are Medicaid, Aid to families with dependent

children, Social Security, or Supplemental Security, or the public housing program.

Medicaid provides free medical care to people who have no insurance or who are unable to afford it. The funds for this program vary from state to state. In some situations, people who may be able to pay daily needs, but can't afford large medical bills may also be able to receive Medicaid. I personally believe that the Medicaid program is a necessity today. With the technology advancing everyday and drugs getting more and more expensive, people need assistance to help pay for them otherwise we take the risk of have wide spread illnesses coming back, like the plague.

Aid to families with dependent

children provides cash benefits to dependent children and the parents or the guardians taking care of them. Most families that qualify for this aid have just one parent in the home. About eighty percent of these families are also headed women.

Next is the Social Security Income. This provides aid to people in need who are at least 65 years of age, blind, or disabled. The federal government finances and administers the program in most states, though some state supply the federal payment and are able to run their own programs. In my opinion, Social Security needs to be gotten rid of. It is getting to the point where there are going to be more senior citizens than working citizens. The fact that someone my age is not guaranteed the money that is being taken away from them and not guaranteed to be given back is not fair.

Public housing is the final program that I will discuss and the one that I find most important. Public housing provides low cost rental apartments in government owned buildings. I believe that if public housing were eliminated as part of welfare, the economy would be in serious trouble.