And the two most abused nowadays are SSI Disability and SSI for kids under 18.
In Germany as far as I know, when children get ssi it has to be strictly used for the children.
There are two types entitlements. The money for free ones like ssi welfare and food stamps and a second which are substitution for expenses like subsidized health care and the mortgage interest deduction. The substitution entitlements are indirect subsidies to business kind of a two fer. They like the author suggests pay for other things like smart phones and vehicles one may not afford without the subsidy. Good luck trying to pry any of these away sans the gov declaring insolvency.
And when SSI payroll taxes were insufficient to cover payouts, congress simply looted the old age fund. This is the sort of dodge of responsibility that convinced me to sit out the congressional portion of last November’s election.