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Pros And Cons Of Public Assistance Programs

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Government sponsored social programs were developed as a response to social needs and to help meet basic human needs. These programs consist of public assistance, social insurance and resident/citizenship, and while public assistance programs are aimed at aiding those already in poverty, social insurance differs in that it was developed to prevent people from going into hardships. Government sponsored social programs range from income, employment, to social services and like everything, these programs though made to ease social needs and provide assistance, come with their list of strengths and shortcomings.
The United States’ public assistance programs are based on the English Poor Laws that were brought from England in colonial times …show more content…

For the sake of dissecting a program and seeing its benefits and that that can be worked on, TANF will be discussed for public assistance. The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Social Security Income (SSI) and Medicaid, are much needed programs to provide assistance to needy individuals and families. TANF and SNAP are helpful in case someone loses a job or some other unexpected hardship occurs and a family is in need of the assistance. TANF and SNAP are special programs because they are aimed at helping children specifically. Both programs help to ease any hardships that would affect children by providing a roof over their heads and food on the table. SNAP has helped decrease hunger for children and families while TANF is able to provide temporary assistance to families in need. While these programs have many benefits, they also come with deficiencies. In 1996 TANF had to be revised because of the increase in dependency which led to the 60 month lifetime limit. TANF is and continues to be heavily abused. Families were depending on the monthly income and not doing anything to improve their situations and look for employment. Because of the lax system, there was no need

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Conclusion Due to the economic setbacks of the early 2000s, local revenue was down which led to many states decreasing many of the “supplemental work programs” that supported TANF and the Work to Welfare program up until that time. There were many states that had used all of their surpluses they were able to save in the 1990s which also led to more cutbacks in the federal grants-in-aid to state, local and other federal domestic programs. Because of the cutbacks,

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96 Words | 1 Pages

TANF stands for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. It is a federally funded grant program that allows states to create and administer their own assistance programs for families in need. TANF replaces the federal programs previously known as 'welfare, ' and enables states to offer a wide variety of social services. One significant change from the old 'welfare ' system is that TANF recipients must participate in work activities in or to receive benefits. This means that parents receiving TANF must be employed in some capacity, be working toward employment, or taking classes aimed at increasing their

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517 Words | 3 Pages

The Welfare Reform Act of 1996 was a landmark legislation that drastically altered how the U.S. government approached poverty. Passed during Bill Clinton's presidency, the reform aimed to decrease the dependency on state support by promoting self-reliance and employment among the populace. This initiative gave birth to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. However, despite the seemingly positive intentions, the Act arguably created a plethora of issues. In fact, many have criticized the reform for its unrealistic assumptions about the reality of poverty in America.

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The TANF, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, did have its initial intended impact. TANK was implemented as a new program under President Clinton to lower the dependency of families on welfare which is one of the sole reasons the government made the decision to switch from Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) to TANF. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priority [CBPP], “The national TANF caseload has declined by over 60 percent over the last 18 years, even as poverty and deep poverty (i.e., income below half the poverty line) have worsened” (2015). TANF received results that the federal government was looking forward to at the time. There are four goals that TANF is required to meet to contribute to the better life for families and children that fall below the poverty line: “(1) provide assistance to needy families so that children may be cared for in their own homes or in the homes of relatives; (2) end the dependence of needy parents on

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This paper will be discussing the topic of TANF. I will discuss the pros and the cons of TANF and how it effects society. TANF is a cash assistance program for poor families with dependent children. It’s predecessor, the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program was part of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s Social Security Act of 1935. TANF was created by Congress through the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, as part of a federal effort to “end welfare as we know it.”

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Some argue that the government is already doing too much for those in need, causing them to become less and less self reliant but there are so many areas in which the government struggles with setting recipients up for long term success. “ What most people seem not to understand is that even when single mothers work. They must pay either babysitters or daycare providers, and both are expensive” (NY Times, 2016, p. 2). Any reasonable parent would consider this and most likely it would cross their mind that almost all of the money they will be making that day will go straight to paying for a babysitter so it’s a lost cause. “Welfare should be not just about forcing women into the workforce, but also about helping them continue their education so that it might lead to a better job” (NY Times, 2016, p. 2).

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Food Stamps boost the economy by “creating markets, and spurring economic growth and jobs in urban and rural communities” (Weill). SNAP benefits can help the economy by getting money into it quickly. In a weak economy, “a $1 increase in SNAP benefits generates about $1.70 in economic activity” (“Policy Basics”). This is a very beneficial thing to have, considering the times we are in. Eventually the people that are in the most trouble will benefit from the program by creating an environment where they can find jobs and earn enough money to support themselves and their family.

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While some insist the Welfare programs help families in need. They imply without such programs a person would not be able to support themselves nor their children. Both sides have a valid argument and both sides

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The disabled and elderly, children, and the homeless can all benefit from SNAP. The purpose of this program is to provide supplement wages to service low-income individuals during an economic crisis such as unemployment. SNAP is also accommodating when one income in the family is not sufficient to sustain any longer. Nearly 91% of the families availing SNAP are below the poverty line, whereas more than 55% of recipients are currently sustaining below half the line of poverty. The program ensures that the participants in need of more support are given greater

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The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) bill changed the structure of welfare payments and added new criteria to states that received welfare funding. PRWORA provided that each state would receive a fixed amount of money to run its own welfare programs, people on welfare would have to find work within two years or lose all their benefits, and there would be a lifetime maximum of five years on welfare. The bill also provided for training, child care, and health care in exchange for an agreement to find work. The bill changed the name of welfare from Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) to Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). AFDC and the jobs program ceased to exist under this law; instead Washington will give a flat amount of money to each state over the next five years and let them devise their own programs for the needy.

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The U.S Constitution gives congress authority to provide general welfare on the nation. The network provided assists thousands of citizens find employment, shelter in a safe home and community, have access to sufficient health or behavioral care, and obtain food. Both federal and state levels share governance in the federal system, to provide the funding of human service programs. In the human services sector, the Supreme Court has rule over ensuring federal funds and confirm the capital is spent in the intended manner. The conditional grant of funds to states allows the government who is eligible to receive the certain benefits, how it is administered throughout the state’s proceedings, how long one can receive the benefits and if states have to provide any further funds needed.

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420 Words | 2 Pages

Eventually the funds will go to the states, and the states will administer them. TANF stands for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, the program is limited, helps provide assistance to needy families so children may be cared for. Requirements for TANF, is whoever receives this help must obtain a job within two years, also they are not allowed to own more than two-thousand dollars in total assets, they are only allowed to receive TANF up to five years or less. Medicaid is paid health care for low-income adults. Blind and disabled people are eligible for Medicaid, and low-income seniors.

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These governmental social programs are a big help to people , they have been here for many generations and will continue to provide access to Americans who have trouble and need

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1032 Words | 5 Pages

The way welfare works is extremely broken. It provides the extra help that some people really need while others abuse from it. To give some back-ground information, welfare has always been present and is always going under modification. According to welfareinfo.org the welfare that is currently present today, started during the great depression. In 1939 social security was modified to make various programs that provided aid to those who needed it.

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