Workfare - Welfare with a Twist
Since nearly fourteen percent of all Americans live in poverty, the subject of welfare has become a political hot potato. Politicians anxious to win points by cutting welfare rolls are increasingly favoring "workfare", which mandates programs requiring those on welfare to get job training and jobs. Workfare can be defined as a government administered policy whereby those in need and without regular employment are obligated to perform a work-related activity in return for state income. The word, a catchall phrase for making welfare recipients do something in exchange for their assistance checks, is central to President Clinton's promise to "end welfare as we know it." However, it is a word that has as many definitions as there are experimental workfare programs across the United States. Single parents suffer. As an increasing number of children in the United States are raised in single parent households, the economic position of these children worsens significantly. On average, single parent families are, much worse off than two parent families. In 1990, the United States defined as poor any family of four whose income fell below $13,359 ($10,419 for a family of three). Among the children in two parent families the poverty rate
Arguments for and against workfare may involve not so much a trade-off between welfare savings and fairness as questions about values attached to the AFDC program. Even if workfare costs more up front, it represents a sounder design for AFDC because it fits with the nation's values and will then improve the image of welfare among recipients and the public. Others will contend that what are needed are not requirements but jobs and investments and training. 6. The echo of the welfare office is very important; caseworkers must sincerely and persistently inform recipients that they have a moral obligation to themselves and the community to get a private sector job or, if jobs are not available, to perform community service work. 1. The requirement to work or participate in other activities should be permanent, not temporary, and should last as long as the recipient receives welfare. 6. To some extent, success depends on the strength of the economy. When unemployment is high, claimants are harder to place in work than when it is low.
Some common words found in the essay are:
Bill Clinton, Social Services, United Single, Research Corporation, Experience Program, Clinton Congress, Dependent Children, Welfare Reform, Credit EITC, , welfare recipients, job training, welfare reform, workfare programs, welfare benefits, community service, job search, social welfare, single parent, welfare rolls, education job training, aid families dependent, job search training, single parent families, job training childcare,
Approximate Word count = 3992
Approximate Pages = 16 (250 words per page double spaced)
|
