Posted on 07/12/2018 3:18:51 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
A White House report said Thursday most Americans living in poverty who receive government benefits are not working, even though they are able to -- a published backing for the Trump administration's plan to impose new work requirements for welfare recipients.
The 66-page report from the White House Council of Economic Advisers said poverty numbers of non-disabled adults are "a deeply flawed reflection of material hardship."
The study said most non-disabled working-age adults who receive Medicaid, 61 percent, do not work or work very few hours.
The other two major welfare programs, Medicaid and food stamps, have similar numbers. The report said more than two-thirds of SNAP food stamp recipients and 59 percent who receive housing assistance are unemployed.
The report follows a district court ruling last month that blocked Kentucky's plan to require work and monthly premiums for some recipients to receive Medicaid.
U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg said the Trump administration failed to consider whether changes in Kentucky laws could help the state furnish assistance. The judge said the federal decision to allow work requirements is "arbitrary and capricious."
Kentucky imposed the requirement in January and it would have taken effect last month if it hadn't been blocked in federal court. The law mandated 80 hours of work or other employment activity per month.
In April, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to add and strengthen work requirements for public assistance and other welfare programs.
The order intends to "increase self-sufficiency, well-being, and economic mobility" by encouraging federal agencies to promote employment for individuals on public assistance who are able to work. The move also addresses concerns about wasteful spending, in that some recipients could be lackadaisical in finding work because they already receive a government funds.
Thursday's report said expanding work requirements would help with decades of declining self-sufficiency and improve outcomes for developing children.
"The timing is ideal for expanding work requirements among non-disabled working-age adults in social welfare programs," the report said. "As was the case in the period of welfare reform in the mid-1990s, current labor markets are extremely tight and unemployment rates are at very low levels, even for low-skilled workers."
"Quite the opposite of harming people, expanded work requirements can improve the lives of current welfare recipients and at the same time respect the importance and dignity of work."
Critics, though, argue adding a mandate to work for impoverished Americans defeats the purpose of government aid.
"The purpose of Medicaid is to provide medical insurance to people who cannot afford it, not to create barriers to coverage," Anne Marie Regan of the Kentucky Equal Justice Center said earlier this year. "Demonstration waivers are supposed to make access to healthcare easier. [The work requirement] does the opposite. It is not only in violation of Medicaid law but is immoral."
Naw..you have more pride in yourself for doing a productive job.
If I followed lifestyle of welfare dependence, I would become obese, develop diabetes, heart disease and mental turbidity.
What made me a confirmed opponent of welfare was a golfer who often joined our foursome. He had deformity in one leg. But he walked 18 holes with us carrying his golf bag, and was collecting permanent disability checks,
yes. he souuds like at least he had a physical injury of some kind
whether he really needed welfare or not, sounds questionable
yes
there are a lot of tough cases out there.
the feds should NOT be doling out welfare!!!
the states are that level of govt, if there is to be welfare
NOT the feds!
but.. well, there are many FAR WORSE welfare fraud cases too.
the swamp needs to be drained
and then.. and not many on FR will agree, I say let the states help the ones with real serious verified disabilities, fine and dandy with me .. but at least half or more of the recipents on disability welfare do appear capable of doing some productive work and many of them don’t look sick at all....
i know someone who hikes 5 miles thru Costco every weekend. but get disiability benefits on the basis that ‘cant walk’
go figure.. there’s tons of fakes on the dole
yes. he souuds like at least he had a physical injury of some kind
whether he really needed welfare or not, sounds questionable
yes
there are a lot of tough cases out there.
the feds should NOT be doling out welfare!!!
the states are that level of govt, if there is to be welfare
NOT the feds!
but.. well, there are many FAR WORSE welfare fraud cases too.
the swamp needs to be drained
and then.. and not many on FR will agree, I say let the states help the ones with real serious verified disabilities, fine and dandy with me .. but at least half or more of the recipents on disability welfare do appear capable of doing some productive work and many of them don’t look sick at all....
i know someone who hikes 5 miles thru Costco every weekend. but get disiability benefits on the basis that ‘cant walk’
go figure.. there’s tons of fakes on the dole
Not necessarily. I’m on SSDI, worked
for 43 years with disabilities.
They’re catching up to the point
where every day functions are near
impossible. Not fair of you to
lump together those on the take,
with those who are truly disabled.
I, like you, despise those on the
take.
To be fair the same could be said for many civil servants. For every family on welfare there are 3 or 4 civil servants "serving" them.
My Older Brother ended up on SSDI at age 60 because he has a bad Hip, a bad Knee and his Asthma decided to make a return which really debilitated him. He was a Line Mechanic and the years of crawling under and inside Automobiles finally did him in. I was amazed how he suddenly looked and acted like an Old Man in his late 50’s, early 60’s.
Two other Friends suffer from very debilitating Rheumatoid Arthritis. One of them has been on SSDI since he was 35. He suffers every day and he takes all sorts of Drugs just to get up and around..
Disability Insurance isn't the issue, fraud is the issue.
“Wall Street Journal had article Get Able Bodied Americans Off the Couch”
After I retired, I joined a local fitness center. I usually go to the center between 10AM & 2PM. The place is packed with blacks and Hispanics, who obviously spend quiet a bit of time working out. These folks are VERY able bodied and likely collecting some sort(s) of taxpayer largesse.
(unless they are working the night shift somewhere, which I highly doubt)
Thanks for your eyewitness account backing me up.
I have stifled myself from saying to our blocks long apt. complex residents and people at the various restaurants: What is your full time job?” I know I’d have to fight my out of the conversation physically, of course.
Know what’s sad? In this apt. complex a woman on metal leg braces who pushed herself painfully on crutches to her car to scrape the snow off and warm it up, who had a specially adapted hand controlled car to compensate for one leg much shorter than the other, got up and went to a full time job every weekday for years. Sometimes a maintenance man or I would scrape the ice and snow off for her before she got up-—a few times.
But as she struggled to work she would pass the parked cars of I would say 60% of the residents who slept in and did not work at all. Able bodied, sometimes jogging or having a bike ride if not off relaxing at a movie or restaurant or the beach.
She and I paid their way with our jobs’ income taxes.
Wasn’t it Marcus Aurelius who said “Stand erect, or be MADE to stand erect”? Needs to be repeated.
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