The USA Welfare System.

[B.A. Baracus]

I'm from the Uk and was just reading about the US welfare system, to be honest it sounds terrible that a person can only claim welfare for 60 months of there life.

What if after that 60 months a person cannot find a job, as we know there are not enough jobs to go round? do they go homeless and starve?

In America do people get help with there rent, do they get help if they are on minimum wage yet have a family?

It just sounds pretty cruel to have people struggle through no fault of there own.

 

[enterthemadness]

I'm not a fan of Welfare. People make fun of people on it, and people should not rely on it. However, from my point of view, people/families should only be on it for 2 years on a time. After that, there needs to be a waiting period. Then if they are having problems or lazy, they can go back on it and repeat the process. Only people with disabilities should be on it forever, even if they can find work. Although that is called SSI. Or something.

 

[bored]

To put a limit on it assumes that circumstances are more in control by the people on it than is realistic. I understand that people get nervous about the idea of government freeloaders, but it's just not the reality.

 

[chaseter]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...ng-crisis-that-shames-the-nation-2351015.html

Almost 4,000 people are sleeping rough on London's streets, an increase of 8 per cent since last year

Housing conditions in Britain are among the worst in Western Europe and cost the nation about £7bn a year by adding to the pressure on the NHS and other public services, according to a major study to be published today

The number of families on waiting lists in London doubled to 362,000 between 1997 and 2010 – and now accounts for more than 20 per cent of the national waiting list

 

[Quasimod0]

Many many people abuse wellfare. So there must be a limit

 

[The Question]

Many many people abuse wellfare. So there must be a limit

Please site your sources.

Even if that's the case, that doesn't mean there should be a limit, because it punishes people who legitimately need it for longer than the limit allows for the crimes of others. That's not right.

There shouldn't be a limit but possible instances of abuse should be investigated on a case by case basis.

 

[chamber-music]

B.A Baracus you know a bunch on U.S posters are probably going to be offended by your question and are going to google UK welfare statistics or news articles and use it to say the UK sytem is terrible or something?


I don't think you meant any malice in you question you were generally just curious but as soon as you ask questions about other countries political policies on the internet people get defensive.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...ng-crisis-that-shames-the-nation-2351015.html

UK system has its problems too. The media and politicians use welfare as a political and scaremongering tool because they know it elicits stong reponses from the general public.

I would take any newspaper article or comments you find on welfare in Britain with a grain of salt. Its often made to sound better or worst than it is depending on which point of view or side of the political spectrum the writers on.

 

[chaseter]

Why point out another country's issues when your own country has the exact same issues?

 

[KevanG]

Because it's fun to criticize other things?

 

[Burgundy LaRue]

Why point out another country's issues when your own country has the exact same issues?

I think the OP was just asking. I didn't read any particular criticism in the post.

 

[terry78]

Haha.

 

[Holiday]

I'm from the Uk and was just reading about the US welfare system, to be honest it sounds terrible that a person can only claim welfare for 60 months of there life.

What if after that 60 months a person cannot find a job, as we know there are not enough jobs to go round? do they go homeless and starve?

In America do people get help with there rent, do they get help if they are on minimum wage yet have a family?

It just sounds pretty cruel to have people struggle through no fault of there own.

Not sure if serious...

 

[The Guard]

It seems a little silly to call a system that allows people not to work for five years, and to essentially get something for nothing "cruel".

Besides that, there are other programs than Welfare to assist people who are jobless, or unable to work for one reason or another.

 

[DarkSovereignty]

Please site your sources.

Even if that's the case, that doesn't mean there should be a limit, because it punishes people who legitimately need it for longer than the limit allows for the crimes of others. That's not right.

There shouldn't be a limit but possible instances of abuse should be investigated on a case by case basis.

it may not seem right, but that's equality for you. everybody has the same access to welfare as everybody else.

 

[cryptic name]

I'm from the Uk and was just reading about the US welfare system, to be honest it sounds terrible that a person can only claim welfare for 60 months of there life.

What if after that 60 months a person cannot find a job, as we know there are not enough jobs to go round? do they go homeless and starve?

In America do people get help with there rent, do they get help if they are on minimum wage yet have a family?

It just sounds pretty cruel to have people struggle through no fault of there own.

It's not cruel. Nobody owes you a living.

 

[chaseter]

I think the OP was just asking. I didn't read any particular criticism in the post.

Nah he was. It's in his first sentence. While I'm not trying to defend any position, it's like an obese guy calling his obese friend fat.

 

[Anita18]

It's not cruel. Nobody owes you a living.

But unfortunately, pretending that that extremely poor people don't exist isn't going to make them go away. If they get sick and couldn't afford insurance, they will go to the ER and we pick up the bill. They have the exact same will to live as people who can afford medical care and housing. It's heartless and simply unrealistic to think that people living in poverty will simply crawl into a corner and wait to die and not use up taxpayer funds along the way. Please.

Helping someone between jobs is a lot cheaper than keeping them alive after they've turned to the street.

 

[redmarvel]

In Canada, or at least in Ontario, while you're working you pay into the "Employment Benefits" program. This is the fund you get to draw from if you become unemployed, but it doesn't last long (I believe it may be 6 months, but I could be wrong, it may be 1 year). Once that runs out you can apply for "Social Assistance" (Welfare or Disability benefits).

http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/onwelf.htm

If you are not a Canadian citizen you are not eligible and will need to find the appropriate embassy to send you home. (This does not apply for refugees, they can actually apply for Social Assistance).

http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/publications_resources/social_policy/sasr_2008/page03.shtml

There are a bunch of other criteria (see link above). Basically you need to show you are trying to find work and that you truly need the funds and don't have income from other sources.

However, it is run by the government, so you can be certain that there are not enough investigators / inspectors and people will rook the system.

 

[B.A. Baracus]

To clear up my first post was not criticism, just me being un educated on welfare systems across the world.

My position on it being cruel is that if 2 parents are working 30 hours each, minimum wage, is there any welfare to top up their money so they can pay rent, utilities food clothing and such. not everyone is in massively well paying jobs.

I understand people will try to screw the system, but most people don't want to live on a pittance, yet across the world there are not enough jobs to go round.

I just don't think its fair that those who cannot find work, no matter how hard they try should go homeless or hungry through no fault of there own in this day and age.

In any country.

 

[terry78]

My only theory is that because we take in so many people from around the world, it's somewhat backfired and soured some of us on providing aid, period. I don't agree with that, but that's what it probably is.

 

[Darthphere]

Why point out another country's issues when your own country has the exact same issues?

It's not like the good ol USA doesn't go poking its head in other people's countries....wait.

 

[chamber-music]

People get offended too easily. I don't have a problem with foreigner voicing an opinion on my country as long as they know what there talking about.

Can't expect people to not have opinions on things.