If one is in need and has no other income resources, there may be an opportunity for eligibility of income assistance. Income assistance is meant to assist people in transitioning into the labour force. In B.C, income assistance is seen as a residual approach, a temporary support system for those who require assistance as a last resort. It is designed to address very defined issues such as those who are unable to meet the basic needs of life. It is believed that family support and the market economy are natural ways to meet those who are in need (Hick, 2014, p.14). There may be eligibility if one finds themselves in any of these situations: out of work or not earning enough money to meet basic needs, waiting for other sources of income to arrive, …show more content…
There are certain circumstances where work search is unnecessary (Income Assistance, 2016). Historical events that led to income security programs such as income assistance comes from the social problems that occurred at the start of capitalism, peasants were released and were no longer taken care of. This started a class division between rich and poor. With that came a number of internal and external social problems. Internal factors include illness, loss, addictions, attitudes, and physical or mental issues. External factors include economic issues, government policies, and discriminatory policies (Hick, 2014, p.7). Income assistance provides minimal support to those who are “deserving poor” or incapable of working because of age or infirmity. “Deserving poor” includes elders, those who are injured, women with young children, and youth. Those who are physically capable of working but …show more content…
A study that was completed in Vancouver collected data from 770 street involved youth, ages ranging from 14 to 26 years of age, 77 per cent reported receiving income assistance from. 64 per cent reported having housing, further 28 per cent reported being evicted and losing income assistance. Heavy alcohol use, unprotected sex, being a victim of violence, and homelessness were all factors associated with eviction. Without income assistance or having a home, these street involved youth lead to drug dealing and eventually incarceration. Income assistance is crucial for some people because it involves being able to survive with basic necessities. It is important that social service programs for those at risk are improved so that these individuals are not left to make desperate decisions for survival. Another study done in Ontario collected data from 284 young mothers (under the age of 18) receiving income assistance, 26 per cent of these young mothers reported that the income assistance that they received was their main source of income. Young mothers are at higher risk to being victims of domestic violence and to have mental health issues. For these mother’s receiving income assistance as their main source of income can lead to stressful situations, this eventually can lead to vulnerability and a higher chance of neglecting their
These people are looking for help to pay for their living expenses such as their property costs, mortgages, and utilities. Welfare was meant to be a short term solution that would provide people with a helping hand that would allow them to take control of their life and once again be productive and able to provide for themselves and their families. At that time many families were forced to rely on government funding in order to pay their utilities, mortgage or rent, provide food and clothing for their families. While welfare is meant to be a short term solution to helping people while they find work, many people are requiring it for longer periods. Each state has their own set of rules for which people
According to the Enhanced Surveillance of Canadian Street Youth, 1999-2003, the ratio of males to females street youth is about 2:1. The principal reason reported by street youth for leaving home was conflict with parents. The main source of income for most street youth was social welfare. Report of dropping out of school/ expelled permanently from school by more than 35% of street youth. “More than one-half street youth reported emotional abuse or neglect and about 15% of street youth reported their families had been homeless”.
According to Lee Tunstall, homelessness is a social problem that “has been growing since the 1970’s” (2009, para.1) and has caught the attention of both the Canadian government and the general public (Tunstall, 2009) . Predominantly, the homeless are individuals or families with no permanent residence who also lack the resources or abilities necessary to arrange for their own adequate housing and living (Stearman, 2010). This matter affects a diverse demographic of the Canadian public. In 2003, the Toronto report card on housing and homelessness reported that out of 32,000 people who used homeless shelters, 15% were families, 22% were youths between the ages of fifteen and twenty-four, 18% were single women and 48% were single men (2003).
Programs that help people who are in poverty are known as Public-Assistance programs that only help citizens whose income doesn’t meet the law standards of living and as well to those who are not covered by social insurance (Katznelson 326). These programs are known as “undeserving” as they are not indexed and organized by the state. The programs include supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) known as food stamps, Temporary assistance to needy families (TANF), and Medicaid. These programs are set to help Americans who are struggling, but unfortunately, these programs have been abused.
As a result of anti-poverty legislation being placed into effect all over the country to force workers back into the capitalist labour market, which has taken hold in neoliberalism, the number of families finding themselves on the brink of homeless is skyrocketing. Furthermore, with the reduction of social assistance programs these families are barely able to provide for themselves, therefore, numerous children are being physically impacted by homelessness. According to Jenny Hsu (2015) hunger and physical illness are effects children and youth may experience due to homelessness that greatly affect their development which is unacceptable for our government to allow this many young people to be negatively impacted. Thus, the links between these
Welfare recipients are now expected to get a job within the first two years of receiving assistance. It is unclear what will happen when people are forced off of public assistance. In 1998 there was a 3% decline in the poverty level, yet a 35% decline in the number of people receiving public assistance. (Morales, Sheafor, 2000). It is clear that ending AFDC did not solve the problem of poverty in the United States.
Being raised in a single-parent lower class home, I realize first-hand the need for welfare and government assistance programs. I also realize that the system is very complex and can become a crutch to people who become dependent and complacent. As a liberal American I do believe that the government should provide services to the less fortunate and resources to find work. However, as able-bodied citizens we should not become complacent with collecting benefits and it is the government’s job to identify people who take advantage of the system and strip benefits from people who are not making efforts to support themselves independently. I will identify errors that exist within the welfare system and several policy recommendations to implement a change that will counteract the negative conditions that currently exist.
Youth become homeless for a number of reasons, including: family violence and neglect, rejection due to sexual orientation or gender identity, the overwhelmed child welfare system and extreme poverty. These youth almost always have experienced unimaginable abuse and trauma, in their homes, their communities, and on the street. It is the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA)-funded services and programs that help to rectify the deep injustices that homeless youth experience on a daily basis.
The United States defines poverty for a family of four as being less than $16,036 per year, or $4,009 per person (Leone 12). People find themselves under this line for an innumerable amount of reasons. Some of these causes are under one's control and others are greater factors beyond an individual's power. Each family or individual person has unique and separate reasons for living in a state poverty. There is no way to try and define them all. Focusing in, three main topics arise that encompass the most predominant reasons for a person to fall into poverty. Education, family life and influence, along with the business cycle may work individually or together to cause poverty. These three leading causes are presented and discussed along with facts prevalent to the issue in the section below.
A single divorcee’ mother of two is working a minimum waged job that doesn’t pay life’s cost of survival. Not only does this mother have to take care of herself, she has children that need shelter, nourishment, and stability. In order for that to be possible, help is needed. Most people, majority is fathers, have too much pride to ask for help because of the image. Being on social welfare promotes the ego dropping image that one cannot provide for themselves or their family. But is image more important than the life itself? Children are dying of hunger or dehydration because their parents cannot afford decent meals or purified water. Children are dying from sickness because their parents cannot afford a home that protects them from the cold. Some of these parents are working forty hours a week or more for minimum wage and still cannot afford the necessities to live healthy. Some parents cannot find a job due to lack of qualification. The government has provided resources for people who are disadvantaged; however, there are still problems that need to be addressed. Social welfare isn’t a discouragement, it is a helping hand. There is no reason why lives should be shortened because of the inability to access governmental assistance. Social welfare benefits America as a whole because it serves as a crutch for the financially handicapped and provides motivation to work harder for a better lifestyle.
People who live in poverty are eligible to claim benefits although not everyone claims benefits live in poverty, some people falsely apply. The idea is that those on benefits can survive on the things they 'need' such as food, water, clothes and shelter as oppose to the things they 'want' or essentially wish for such as TVs, family holidays and the internet. The line between want and need has become somewhat distorted, this may well be down to the ranges of benefits an individual can claim. Maslow (1945) identified the basic needs of a person must be met, he created a hierarchy of needs such as the need for air, food, water and sleep moving up the scale to more complex needs. These needs can be met through a stable income.
With the worsening state of the economy there has been a steady rise in the rates of homelessness for all ages. The causes amongst youth homelessness include financial instability, abusive guardians, conflict between the youth and their guardians in dealings with sexual activity or pregnancy. This leads to a greater need for government assistance, welfare, charity. It includes those same youths growing up to experience higher rates of divorce and mental illness. They will have a greater chance of ending up in prison, in poverty, or even plagued by addiction.
...s mothers say that they weren’t employed when they became homeless. They were stay at home moms taking care of household chores and taking care of their children and satisfying their husband’s needs. They didn’t ever think that they would become homeless or ever get a divorce. These mothers try to survive with working two jobs, but the income isn’t enough to take of all the bills and provide food on the table for the family. The overall situation is that there’s lots of reason teens become homeless weather its run away or eviction. This all causes teens stress and sometimes even there life’s. Mother’s even give there children away because of these type of situations, so they want suffer or have a bad life. Lots of adoption agency’s have received lots of babies and teens over the years because of the poverty and finical situations that there parents are in.
work. Obviously the government does not want to simply supply hand outs to lazy people looking to get by while they collect money to do nothing. The state only wishes to help people that are simply using these benefits as a means to get by for now while they cannot attain employment even though they have tried
Poverty in America is measured using thresholds and guidelines that are updated each year so that we have a more accurate picture of who is in need. Using these standards it is then decided who is impoverished. According to the Institute for Research on Poverty (2013) a family of four, who makes less than $23,492 in a year, are considered poor. There are numerous federal programs provided by the government that are designed to help those who are in need. Some of these programs provide food stamps, free lunches, Medicaid, Head Start, and rent assistance. Although these programs are helpful to people who need them they do not entirely prevent children from the consequences of being poor.