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