I'm sure it was for you and your family, as it would be for me and mine. The thing is, you were used to work and care for yourselves and had some pride and self-esteem. There lies the difference.
Quite honestly, no. We had to pay car insurance so he could look for a job. There was never enough cash. $500 a month for car repairs, car insurance, gasoline, electric (any utility) soap of any kind (bath soap, shampoo, laundry soap,dish soap), toilet paper (any taxable item is cash). We had no phone, couldn't afford it, so we used a neighbors. If the rent went up $20, it was taken out of your cash because you're "getting more money" for the rent raise. As I said, there was no way to get by. Desperate doesn't describe it. I don't know how anyone can survive on it. Which is the point, to try to get people off of it. Welfare is crushing poverty. And if you go for a job, you were looked down on if they found you were on welfare and you weren't hired. You were automtically considered lazy. And Hubbys resumee was impressive. I've never experienced such a black hole before. If I dressed in my normal clothes, I was perceived as a welfare cheat. If I wore sweats, I was a welfare pig. You couldn't win.