Numbers On Welfare See Sharp Increase

[question everything]

Source: WSJ

Welfare rolls, which were slow to rise and actually fell in many states early in the recession, now are climbing across the country for the first time since President Bill Clinton signed legislation pledging "to end welfare as we know it" more than a decade ago. Twenty-three of the 30 largest states, which account for more than 88% of the nation's total population, see welfare caseloads above year-ago levels, according to a survey conducted by The Wall Street Journal and the National Conference of State Legislatures. As more people run out of unemployment compensation, many are turning to welfare as a stopgap.

The biggest increases are in states with some of the worst jobless rates. Oregon's count was up 27% in May from a year earlier; South Carolina's climbed 23% and California's 10% between March 2009 and March 2008. A few big states that had seen declining welfare caseloads just a few months ago now are seeing increases: New York is up 1.2%, Illinois 3% and Wisconsin 3.9%. Welfare rolls in a few big states, Michigan and New Jersey among them, still are declining.

(snip)

The cash-assistance program, called Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), was created by the 1996 law and replaced previous welfare and jobs-training programs. Funded partly by the federal government and partly by the states, it primarily assists women who have children and no job, or a very low-paying one. The number of families on welfare had been falling steadily and, nine months into the recession, stood at 1.6 million in September 2008, the most recent date for which national tallies are available.

Food-stamp eligibility is significantly easier than the criteria for receiving welfare, so food-stamp assistance tends to rise first. The food-stamp program covers a much larger pool of people who have trouble making ends meet but make more money than the allowable limits under TANF. In general, a family of four must have a monthly income of less than $2,297 to qualify for food stamps. Welfare, on the other hand, is designed as a last resort. The average monthly welfare benefit in 2006, which reflects the most current data collected by the government, was $372... The recession is straining many state welfare programs. State budget woes often mean more cases without more employees. And the demand for cash assistance is squeezing funds for job-training programs targeted both at the unemployed with little work experience and unemployed professionals with extensive work experience.



Read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124562449457235503.html

[NewAgeThinker]

1. Time to panick?

I'm not very surprised.

It's only a matter of time until welfare cash is finished!
Then what? United Tent Cities Of America?

I went overseas to Europe recently, it's amazing how many foreign nations don't want American money anymore.
The number just keeps increasing!

[cindyperry]

2. I am

going to file for food stamps myself. Things are just incredibly hard. I find myself wondering how did it get so hard to pay the bills?

[Pale Blue Dot]

3. You can only see the green shoots if your head is in the sand. nt

[earth mom]

4. I had a dream last night that my husband lost his "super secure" union job.

Which tells me that deep down I know that NO ONE and NO JOB is safe these days. :yoiks: :cry:

[Birthmark]

5. "The average monthly welfare benefit in 2006...

..., which reflects the most current data collected by the was $372."

372 bucks?! For a month?! And this is what the Rushpublicans whine about? Amazing.

My sincerest sympathy to *anybody* who has to try to get by on $372/month. It seems impossible.