Social Insurance Benefits

There are many welfare programs in our society that are provided by the government, whether it is funded by taxpayers or the government itself. These programs are generalized as Safety Net Programs, and they provide necessities for families in need and in unfortunate situations. There are plenty of safety net programs but the two types that they all categorize under is social insurance programs and means-tested programs. To be frank, social insurance is a set of insurance programs that are administered by a government. Similar to private sector insurance, they provide benefits upon the occurrence of certain events. Kinda like unemployment insurance, it provides protection for someone who suddenly becomes unemployed--quite self explanatory. Social insurance benefits are funded in the United States through payroll taxes. Means-tested programs caters solely to those who are in poverty or receive a low income. Means-tested aid programs include: Medicaid, food stamps and public housing and are funded through government revenue.

These mixed feelings are in regards to, yes these programs do benefit and aid those in poverty, are of old age, and disabled, but it may be detrimental to the overall economy; while the elderly have the luxury of retiring and benefits of Medicare the workforce is shrinking in size, thus shocking the entire taxpayer roll. Furthermore, there are many different opinions of these welfare programs because everyone comes from a different background, economically and politically. One benefit from these welfare programs that are most angrily discussed and debated over is American citizens taking advantage of food stamps and other government aid sent from these programs. However, many believe that various programs such as FAFSA, child support, and public housing are very