Do these numbers include the school breakfast, lunch and dinner programs along with WIC too?
Since money is fungible, seems to me one drawing food stamp or other welfare payments could easily underwrite a nice existance, not opulent, without working if they managed to put all the programs together. My wifes daughter has that skill, has not worked or bettered herself in 7 years since quitting school and going on the dole. Does not live great but does not want either as any “necessities” like health and car insurance are covered by my wife.
I STRONGLY believe that individuals identities of those on any form of public assistance should be publicized...it is my money and I need to know where it is going. Obviously “term limits” for benefits like unemployment insurance don’t work so maybe some form of public knowledge would help. Yeah I know, not PC to hurt anyones dignity but damn, when everyone is on the government dole, who is going to be paying for it???
The wife’s daughter should be able to get FREE health insurance or medicaid, maybe? Save your wife some money. IIRC, there was some theme going around in early December that, for a single mother with a couple of kids, she would have to work at a job that paid in the range of $60,000 per year in order to break even with what she can get by not working, receiving all of the government benefits.
I agree that there is a lot of “double dipping” going on with familiies receiving free meals for the kids at school and also receiving food stamps for those same kids, as if their three meals a day are being provided by the parent/s.
I also wonder, for every $1 taken from our taxes to pay for food stamps, what amount of change actually makes it through the government employees and administration process to the recipient?