Imagine for a second, you’ve lost your job. The economy is in a slump, no one is hiring, or so the media and rumors say. You’re sitting at home contemplating what to do next, and the thought of welfare comes up.
In doing some research on welfare, I found this interesting discussion on it…In it, forbidnfruit_420 says, “i dont and thats because i wasnt a screw up and can provide for my family…and i know who my babys daddy is.” Blunt and harsh, but that really is the stigma that gets attached to collecting welfare isn’t it?
This whole post came about because I posted awhile back on a family that’s homeless living with 9 kids. SingleMa mentioned that she was interested in my thoughts on welfare. Someone interested in my thoughts?!? How can I pass up an opportunity like that. It doesn’t happen very often in real life…
Before I get into that, I decided to try and find out how you actually go about getting welfare. It was actually a challenge finding this info. In fact, the only useful piece of info I could find was on Wikipedia.
My thoughts…well, I could never imagine collecting welfare. If my mind is still sound, I will find a way to generate some income–at least enough to get me by. I would try my best to avoid any situation where I would be forced to consider welfare. So naturally, when I see reports of families with drunk dads, 10 kids, hard working mother–I’m just using that as an example by the way–collecting welfare checks, I get a little ticked…ticked at the drunk dad that is…and at the mom actually…10 kids, c’mon.
Now, given that there are instances where family hardships require some assistance, I have no qualms about that…but in my opinion 2 able-bodied individuals should never be collecting welfare. If you can work, go work. Find that small local mom and pop store, help out…get $10s a day under the counter. Baby sit…Dog sit…Deliver newspapers. Recycle! It don’t matter, just do something. And don’t be popping out babies like mentos!
How about you? Would you be able to collect welfare if times got rough? What about your thoughts on welfare in general?
I was there FF. 3 kids under 5 to feed, husband gone and hadn’t worked in many years. It is a very humbling position to be in and I couldn’t do it. I should have done it, for my kids, but I couldn’t. I worked and worked and worked some more. All at minimum wage. Spending countless hours figuring out how I could talk my employers into “not withholding” federal tax, and paying me the EIC early. Since I worked for little companies it wasn’t easy showing them what I knew. Which was, I didn’t make enough to live or support 4 of us. And I would not only NOT owe taxes the government would be sending me money at the year end.
I needed help. My kids needed help. Looking back I still don’t really know how we made it. I was so busy working and robbing Peter to pay Paul that I missed out on EVERYTHING important. I just didn’t have it in me to go on welfare. I should of, looking back.
I did call for help once, when I was feeling very desperate. Dental bills and cancerous cells and I didn’t know what else to do. When I finally got through I reached a rather evil and rude woman. Who basically told me to stop working and then I could receive help. Our system is so screwed up.
Illinois luckily has the health care set up for children now. This enables every child in Illinois to see a doctor and a dentist. This is huge from my perspective, health care kills a budget. And when you have no budget just bills and not enough money….well, you know it’s not good.
I did a few years later receive the health care when it was new. And I did for 1 year sign up for the hot lunch program at school. These things were the most imbarrassing things I have ever done. Till this day, I still feel the anxiety of my actions. When I take the kids to the doctor or sign up for school I feel everyone knows that I couldn’t take care of my kids. It makes me feel small and …….I don’t even know how to describe it.
So in answer to your question - Never! If I had to work like I did before I would. Give me toilets to clean, let me pick up your dog crap, or let me jump in a sewer for the city. But I will never be in that position again.
I think a lot of people are caught in that bind, that they can’t afford to work because they would lose more money by earning it. What many forget is that living on welfare isn’t a cushy life. It is really very little money especially if you have no children.
There will always be people who DON’T want to work and who are trying to game the system. My tax teacher tells us all the time about people who repeatedly try to get themselves declared permanently disabled so they can get free money. Sometimes the lure of money is greater than their pride in themselves. Although you have to wonder, if they’re willing to be that crass for a little money, why they don’t go into sales or something and be crass for a lot more money.
Welfare SHOULD not be eliminated. it is often the only safety net for people who are put in a position like D and don’t have the resources or personal drive to make it work. What I think would be really changing the nature of things is to enforce education - that along with your welfare money comes the obligation to get an education and learn to do something that will eventually pay enough to get off welfare. Job Corps is a great example of this, they teach high school kids to be dental hygienists or mechanics or various other skills which pay well but don’t require huge amounts of training.
I would have no problems collecting welfare, if I was in a position where I needed it. There should be no shame in asking others for help when you truly need it. The biggest issue I have with the welfare system is that I feel the main emphasis should be to help people earn enough money to get out of the system. While there are lazy people and people trying to game the system, the biggest problem is that many people on welfare feel they have no hope of getting out of the system, and are passing on the hopeless lifestyle to their children.
“and at the mom actually…10 kids, c’mon.”
!!!
as for your question, yeah if I was in position and needed a chance to get back on track, I would seek all the social services available to me at that time.
I know a woman who left her husband and retained custody of their child. She had military experience but otherwise nothing beyond a high school degree. Could she have slogged thorugh a bunch of minimum wage jobs and kept afloat? Possibly. But she took on public assistance so that she could go back to school and get her college degree. She’s now happily married, working, and freelancing as well. She and her family are going to put more taxes back into the system than she took out in benefits.
Are there people who match the stereotype? Sure. But in my experience, it’s too useful a tool to dismiss as the refuge of the lazy.
I don’t have much time to respond with the detail I would like, but I’ll just say this…YES I WILL AND I HAVE LIVED ON WELFARE.
The “stereotype” you described in your post is just that…a stereotype. I do NOT have 10 children. I was NOT married to a drunk. I was NOT down on my last dime and had no where else to turn. I will NOT choose a minimum wage job or doing any combination of weird jobs that pay under to table just to avoid welfare. I did it BY CHOICE and I am NOT ashamed of it.
It was a stepping stone and I used it for what it is intended. I used the system to enhance my life. I use the term “enhance” to mean I am now self sufficient and will NEVER (if the Lord is willing) have to resort to welfare again. I now have an MBA, earn a very hefty salary, and possess the technical/analytical ability to make my money grow. Like the previous commenter stated, I have repaid my debt to society and continue to pay more in taxes than I ever received in welfare benefits. I now look for opportunities to educate and uplift other welfare recipients to do the same, instead of degrade them for their life choices or recommend “temporary” fixes (like get a job at McDonald’s) when dealing with the challenges of life. Welfare is NOTHING to be ashamed of. When used properly, it serves a purpose that benefits all.
The path I chose is NOT the exception. If you did REAL research, instead of believing media hype and adding to the negative perceptions, you will find that “stereotypical welfare recipients” make up a very small portion of those who receive benefits.
I don’t think my family’s ever been on welfare, but I know a family that was. The eldest daughter went full scholarship to Stanford and is a doctor, so I don’t think there’s a stigma to being on welfare unless someone wants to be mean about it and put their own prejudices upon someone already vulnerable. That’s just kind of cruel. Sure you hear of abuses, but there are probably many more stories out there which aren’t.
I think I would go on welfare if that would give me some options if I was so constrained. I think it’s great that Single Ma and D have both used it they way it was meant to be used, a temporary help to vault them to better things in life. Good for them for leveraging welfare as another asset and getting ahead.
I pay my taxes to ensure there is a social support system for me should a hard time befall me. If a hard time befalls me, then why shouldn’t I take advantage of the insurance I have paid for by engaging in The Social Contract called the tax system?
My personal aim is never to need it. But I have the naive view that I don’t think anyone sets out to be on welfare. It just happens that way. After all, dealing with the application process for social services is humiliating and I highly doubt it’s a first resort for most people. (Try getting Section 8 housing for an aging parent. Watched my mom do it for my grandmother. Not fun!)
Oh sorry.
I see I made a mistake. D was never on it. She just worked her fingers to the bone instead.
She did receive it…healthcare and free lunch. It’s all welfare.
Wow, thank you all for your feedback. I’ll be writing up a separate post to address everything mentioned.
And sorry…I said unemployment once…didn’t mean that…meant welfare. Made the change.
very good, I liked it
- Kevin
I was not on welfair but I did aply for social houseing. The place I got was a two bedroom town. My situation was not that I couldn’t find a job (I have one) just a man that took to drinking. I am rent geard to income. I pay 33% of my wages as do the people on welfare. I went from 600.00 to 1000.00 in three years. I don’t mind this it was a big help. In my complex there are maybe 12 families that actualy work, the others are on welfare. These people pay 150.00 or less a month for rent. They also have boyfriends that work and live with them or a roommate. Just took a few minutes to figur it out based on the info given to me by other people in the complex.
The woman down the street has a part time job she makes about 1200.00 a month so she pays about 300 a month. she rents her basement to a friend for 500 a month so this pays the rent hydro and heat. she gets 200 CTB 150 every 4 months GST plus 100.00 a month for food from welfare. She is always going places, camping, trips to Calgery…. Did I mention that she gets chid suport in the tune of 400.00 a month. So the way I see it she is makeing almost twenty thousand a year tax free. This does not include the three thousand she gets back from incometax at the end of the year and the extra money she gets for school when she doesnt want to work. Must be nice to have a life like that. I work my ass off for less money. Not to mention I pay her salery.