I just don’t include Social Security in the “Welfare State” and to think that 1400 dollars is a lot of money for working 50 years is quite insane. Sorry the reason that Social Security is a mess is because Congress raided the slush fund or whatever you call it. They should have to recoup all that money themselves. Thieves.
Social Security was always intended to be general revenue. It was a designed as a Ponzi scheme and Congress was handed the money, they didn’t have to raid anything.
Anyone who has received more in Soc Sec than what he paid in (plus a reasonable rate of return) is at that point forward a welfare recipient. Ditto Medicare.