General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: New GOP Lie: Food Stamps on Cruise Ships [View all]Hamlette
(15,412 posts)"Welfare" offices in Utah are also used for unemployment benefits and the Workforce Investment Act (the old JTPA) which helps displaced workers and youth with education and finding work. Unemployment and some WIA programs are not not means tested so the blond in a $300 suit might have been in the office because of either of those other programs.
I work in the legal department of the Utah "welfare" office. We have access to all kinds of data about income and assets which we check regularly. If you have a job or a car or land or are mentioned in a trust account, and you apply for or are on welfare, we know about it and you likely don't get help here.
Utah's "welfare" rate is no higher per capita than other states and our food stamp usage is less than other states. It is true that polygamist communities use food stamps at a higher rate than the rest of the state (data released to the press based on zip codes) but even with that, the state overall issues less in food stamps per capita than other states.
I'm not Mormon. I grew up here and thought all that was evil in the world could be laid at the feet of "the church" as we call it here. And while I still don't like many/most practices of the church, not all of them are as bad as I once believed. Some wards have been exceptionally generous to poor people. I could tell you stories. And they take great pride in their own welfare program which they coordinate with us. So it makes no sense to me that counselors at BYU would tell students to "game" the system in part because it could/would get back to the church which they would not like. You do not want your ward/church to think badly of you if you are a Mormon.
Having spent my fair share of years in college, I'd guess many of the families are eligible. My only gripe in that regard is that they should not be having children while in college because they are unable to adequately support them. But, we feed children and I will never support a position that says turn them away because their parents made bad choices.