WelfareBy Henry Akers, Emily Turner, Meredith
Eudailey, Sarah Fortune
Definition
• Welfare – the provision of a minimal level of well-being and social support for all citizens, sometimes referred to as public aid.
• Includes Medicaid, Food Stamps, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplementary Security Income, and Children’s Health Insurance Programs
• Currently controlled by both federal and state governments
1996 Welfare Reform Act
• Also known as “Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA)”
• Focused more on workforce development, which encourages employment among the poor
• Provided aid for 2 years
• Included Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) • Required that a portion of the able-bodied adults work or prepare
for work in order to receive welfare
Recent Changes
• In 2012 the Obama administration waived federal requirement for a portion of TANF recipients to engage in work activities
• States can apply for waivers to this requirement as long as they are finding other ways to increase employment
The Problem
• Federal requirement to find a job within 2 years to receive aid has caused some to go jobless and without aid (this has also led to an increase in child poverty)
• Federal funding of welfare did not change to compensate for the recent economic crisis
• Various federal requirements for state programs have been overbearing/unnecessary
State Control: Pros
• People making decisions are closer to the people they affect
• Can more effectively use trial and error
State Control: Cons
• Lack resources/funding
• No regulations or structure
• Gives states authority to destroy it altogether
Federal Control: Pros
• Have more than enough resources/funding
• Would simplify the system
Federal Government: Cons
• Doesn’t allow for specialization/flexibility
• Any changes would take a much longer time to implement
Solution: Federal Government
• Mostly state-run but Federal government plays a small role
• Federal government gives funding to each state based on its individual poverty rate
• Federal government has no role in regulating the system (besides requiring that there is one)
• Federal government reviews state-made welfare programs to ensure they are providing at least a minimum level of well-being
Solution: State Governments
• State governments decide which programs and policies to include based on the state’s needs
• State governments are required to administer drug tests on all welfare recipients
• State governments need to make sure that recipients are at least looking for work
Citations
• “State-Federal Welfare Relationships - Social Welfare History Project.”Social Welfare History Project. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2014.
• “Is Devolution Working? Federal and State Roles in Welfare.” The Brookings Institution. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2014.
• “Welfare Information.” US Welfare System. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2014