Us Welfare Program

US Welfare Program

Introduction

Welfare includes those steps taken by governments in order to improve the well-being of its citizens. Welfare programs aim at providing this assistance to needy people. Us welfare program started in the 1930’s during the period of the great depression. It was a response by the government to assist people who had lost their jobs and income. Although this program was beneficial to many people it was abused by some citizen who would not seek for employments but relied on the welfare program. This abuse of the program climaxed with call for its reform which was done in 1990 which limited the number of people who would qualify for the program. Under the new welfare program, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), welfare is limited to most deserving families and for child care. How ever it caters for other beneficiaries.

Beneficiary of US welfare program

Unlike the earlier welfare program, TANF is not exclusively managed by the federal government but vary from one state to another (Noble, Charles, 1997). To qualify for the program, several programs are considered. This eligibility depends on the size of the family, unemployment, pregnancy, medical emergency and the gross and net income. To verify the qualification, a case worker is assigned to those applying. The case worker collects information that determines the type and amount of the benefit.

Families that have minimum or no income are eligible for welfare program depending with state to state (Welfare information, 2009). To such families cash assistance or TANF is offered in order to allow income. This income is aimed at ensuring that the children, elderly and other dependent in the family in take care of. However conditions are set that the head of such families should be doing something in order to secure an employment.

US Welfare Program

Families with state regulated child qualify for welfare. This welfare is provided through the child support program. This program provides the families with care placement assistance. This allows the parents or caretakers the time for working and job training. This program can provide partial of full support to the child depending on the conditions of the parents or the caretaker (Welfare information, 2009).

Families with financial constrain that make them not to afford basic utilizes qualify for welfare. Energy and utility assistance program provides financial assistance to allow the families pay for electricity, gas, water and other utilities (Welfare information, 2009). The assistance is either partial or full depending on the needs of a particular family.

Families with very limited income means qualify for food stamps. Under food stamp program such families are able to acquire food (Welfare information, 2009). Thus it provides for nutritional needs of needy families and allows the families to use their limited incomes on other necessity. How ever there restrictions are set on what can be bought with the food stamps.

Families or individuals whose income does not allow them to have medical insurance qualifies for welfare though medical assistance program. Medical insurance is very important for the health care of every individual. Through the program the beneficially would access well check, doctors visits, eye care, dental care and other medical care.

Conclusion

Welfare program are very important to nay country. Individuals and families may be faced with major problems that may affect their income and this would call for intervention. Reforms in the welfare program in U.S have brought major positive changes on the program by allowing the

US Welfare Program

accessible only to the neediest and encouraging beneficiaries to do something in order to better their financial state. How ever the current recession has called for the welfare program to be readdressed in order to cater for the current problem associated with the recession.

References

Noble, Charles (1997) Welfare as We Knew It: A Political History of the American Welfare State.

New York: Oxford University Press

Welfare information (2009) Welfare programs; Retrieved on 12th October 2009 from http://www. welfareinfo.org/programs/