Two years ago Emmy-winning reporter and producer Thanh Tan had an article in the Seattle Times asking unemployed workers to share their first-hand experiences using unemployment insurance and their position on a federal extension. Within a matter of days, over 300 people responded to the post; many with anecdotes of the care and relief they received through the organization.
Although several individuals commented on their support for the program and advocate for an extension of benefits, a number of unemployed people still argued against it. Those in favor of the extension press for an increase in the amount of time one is able to remain in the program, while those opposed argue that too much leniency will endorse reliance upon welfare programs
…show more content…
The central aim of this program is to provide a safety net for people who have endured an economic blow and motivate them to pick themselves back up.
Marketing specialist Melly Parker elaborates on the structure and components of unemployment insurance in her article in the Houston Chronicle. She clarifies how the Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA) requires employers to make payments known as a payroll tax to the state and federal government to contribute funds for unemployment insurance.
Once an employee loses their job and has been successfully enlisted in the program, he will begin receiving state issued checks normally worth 40-50% of what they previously
…show more content…
Where many of us run into conflict is in determining what is considered an appropriate spans of time for an individual or family to be enrolled in the program. In his economic article in The Atlantic, senior editor Derek Thompson supplies an informative graphic depicting several levels of the ‘unemployment insurance ladder’.
At the lowest level of the ladder is the minimum 26 weeks of state funded benefits, directly followed by four additional tiers of insurance created by Congress. These tiers extend the available length of one’s enrollment to a whopping 79 weeks. And to top it all off, the federal government even offers extended benefits for a grand total of 99 weeks.
That’s just shy of two whole years that our government will take cash straight out of employers’ wallets and hand it over to someone who, in all that time, just can’t seem to find a job. Why would they? All they have to do is kick back, stay unemployed, and watch the checks roll
People can request “consideration of deferred action” in two years. Trump might stop issuing the work permits under
Hays found that initially most welfare workers were optimistic and even excited about the changes. Most workers felt that the Act represented real progress and allowed for positive changes which would positively impact the lives of their clients. Hays spoke to one welfare who said that welfare reform “offered the training and services necessary to 'make our clients' lives better, to make them better mothers, to make them more productive.'” But as she was soon to find out, welfare reform, while it did have a positive impact on the lives of some welfare clients, made the lives of most clients more difficult, not to mention the stress that it caused for the welfare workers who had to deal with the often confusing and illogical new rules.
Ehrenreich, Barbara and Frances Fox Piven. ?Without a Safety Net.? Mother Jones. 27.3 (May-June2002):1?4. Online. Information Access Expanded Academic ASAP. Article A86047838.
More than _____ people across the United States received some form of government funded welfare assistance during ___yr (cit). Government programs include, but are not limited to health services, economic assistance, food assistance, and shelter assistance. The focus and design of welfare assistance programs is with the intent of aiding individuals with their essential needs. Its purpose is not to benefit deceitful individuals seeking handouts. Posed with the question, “Should people on welfare be required to work?” the response from a small group of my closest friends was a unanimous “yes.” Although, this outcome was not shocking, the degree of anger and animosity that the inquiry provokes was very intriguing, as well as the reasons given.
The United States spends vast amounts on its healthcare, while falling short of achieving superiority over other developed nations. One cannot overlook that the deepening recession has left many without jobs and therefore lacking health insurance. According to Fairhall and Steadman, (2009), even though the recession is hard on all, it is worse on the uninsured due to health care and insurance cost rising faster than incomes. Nevertheless, even those with jobs are lacking in health insurance due to employers, who provide insurance, are increasingly dropping their sponsored insurance. Many find that purchasing a health policy or paying for medical care out-of-pocket is cost prohibitive. “Since the recession began in December 2007, the number of unemployed Americans has increased by 3.6 million,” (Fairhall & Steadman, 2009). In 2009 it was stated that approximately 46 million Americans were uninsured, however not all of that number is due to the inability to afford coverage. According to a 2009 story written by Christopher Weaver of Kaiser Health News, 43% of that number should be classified as “voluntarily” uninsured. This subset of uninsured Americans consist of nearly half being young and healthy; therefo...
Welfare programs are an important part of American society. Without any type of American welfare, people will starve, children will not receive the proper education, and people will not receive any medical help simply because they do not have the resources available to them. Each of the three aspects of the American welfare system are unique in their own ways because they are funded differently and the benefits are given to different people. While support for these welfare systems has declined in the more recent years, the support for it when it was created was strong.
When there is a diversion in the proposed funds for job creation to unemployment insurance, then the creation of new jobs becomes a problem. The issue of unemployment has been a huge debate among researchers; however, regardless of the different outcomes from the many methods of empirical studies, this topic remains very important due to the consequences
My views towards welfare have somewhat changed during the process of research. When I first started researching “welfare” I only thought about all the people who cheat the system. But, then I realized how many people need and do get support from welfare. There are more people receiving help from welfare, then people hurting it. Yes, there is a group of people who scam welfare, but there is a side that relies on welfare.
...ican welfare system has many flaws and I have identified major problems and possible solutions/policy recommendations. We can’t completely dismiss government assistance because we are a land of the equality of all and should be proud to have services that help the less fortunate. However, we must identify people who misuse and people who become too comfortable. We can’t continue to fall deeper into debt by supporting people who are not making an effort to support themselves. Nonetheless, we should help and assist those who are constantly trying to become educated, skilled, and experienced enough to become self-sufficient. I will close with a quote from the article about welfare helping a lady survive while she was studying. Currently she has a degree and a job as a manager. “I had clear goals,” “I wasn’t raised to sit at home expecting a check to come in the mail.”
Paul Fronstin, EBRI (2001). Workers and Access to Health Care: Consequences of Bing Uninsured. Retrieved February 27, 2012, from http://www.ebri.org/pdf/publications/Books/economic_cost_of_uninsured.pdf
Employer benefits must be competitive to attract and keep quality employees but the federal government recognizes that “perk” benefits will not prepare and sustain employees for everything. Federally required employee benefits supported by both the employer as well as the employee such as Social Security, Worker’s Compensation Insurance, and the Family Medical Leave Act are important benefits to our society by providing certain assurances for a stable tomorrow.
Unemployment Benefits now called Reemployment Assistance, provides temporary, partial wage replacement benefits to qualified workers who are unemployed through no fault of their own. Supports economic stability for employers who depend on consumer spending. Is funded solely by employers who pay federal and state payroll taxes. Is provided at no cost to the workers who receive the benefits. (http://www.stateofflorida.com)
Mouhammed, A. H. (2011). Important theories of unemployment and public policies. Journal of Applied Business and Economics, 12(5), 100-110.
In the case of the unemployed, the American Psychological Association (APA) has published multiple papers showing that the current economy is very stressful to Americans...
“Walker said unemployment benefits should be ‘more like a trampoline and less like a hammock”, this quote from the article on Scott Walker’s view on welfare best explains how welfare should be. Welfare programs are supposed to help people who are having trouble get back on their feet, but some people see it as a handout from the government that lets them have a free pass in life. Although there are people who use welfare to bounce back from their financial struggles, but some people take advantage of it and take the benefits without trying to work to get out of the struggle. The welfare system was never made to help people who take advantage of the system. It was made to help people who can’t make enough money to survive