Our Current US Welfare System Is in Urgent Need of Reform

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Welfare is a government program that provides food, money, housing, medical care, and other things people need in order to survive. These programs are designed to help elderly, children, disabled individuals who cannot support their families on their current income. In order to qualify for assistance the individual’s income must be below the poverty line. There are about sixty assistance programs, however most people receive help though Social Security, Medicaid, food stamps and Temporary Assistance of Needy Families also known as TNAF. I would like to reform welfare because welfare has become a way of life for some its recipients and has created a culture of dependency. The welfare reform system’s objective should be designed to get people off welfare and onto the job market. The goal of the system should be to move people from dependency to self-reliance.
Under the current policy the applicant must lack gainful employment opportunity through either lack of places of employment or lack of job skill .The recipient must commitment to self-sufficiency before any potential benefits can be received. The Head of the household must also enter into an agreement because they will need to become self-sufficient within a certain time frame. “Texas time limits were set by House Bill 1863 in 1995 and have not changed significantly since then”(Randolph 4). A commitment to cooperation must also be signed by the heads of household because they will need to comply with and continue all regulations and requirements while receiving aid. Dependent children must be living in the household. There are some very few exceptions, but generally all dependents must be within the home. All minors must be attending school during school days .All minors and ...

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Montgomery, Dave. "Texas Senate OKs Drug Testing for Welfare Applicants." Fort Worth Star- Telegram., 11 Apr. 2013. Web. 30 Jan. 2014.
Pimpare, Stephen. "Welfare Reform at 15 an the State of Policy Analysis." Acadmic Search Complete. Social Work, 2013. Web. 20 Feb. 2014.
Prce, T. "Child Welfare Reform." CQ Researcher Online. CQ Press, 22 Apr. 2005. Web. 20 Feb. 2014. .
Randolph, Capps, Nancy M. Pindus, Kathleen Snyder, and Jacob Loes-Urbel. "Recent Changes in Texas Welfare and Work, Child Care, and Child Welfare Systems." Recent Changes in Texas Welfare and Work, Child Care, and Child Welfare Systems. Urban Institute, 01 June 2001. Web. 30 Jan. 2014.
Rector, Robert, and Jennifer A. Mrshal. "The Unfinished Work F Welfare Reform." Acadmic Search Complete. National Affairs, 2013. Web. 20 Feb. 2014.

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