Report shows why Americans are flocking to welfare

2/22/2013

(Page 2 of 2)

benefits reduced to an absolute minimum.

We cannot long survive in a nation that lets stagnant wages lose purchasing power to inflation, then provides welfare that surpasses the minimum wage. To continue to do so is to continue destroying America.
_____

Pabst put together a list of figures for a person in Cogan's circumstances. They reveal just how much is available to a single mother of two, earning $19,000. The total exceeds $81,000 in possible benefits. They are specific to Pennsylvania. Other states may have lower or even higher figures based on how generous their programs are.

Assistance Totals: Single Mom of two making $19,000

Department of Welfare
- LIHEAP: $400
- Child Care: $14,976
- Medical Assistance: $6,045 (includes Health Department and SCHIP)
- Food $6,028 (SNAP, WIC: average $52.32 per person, school meal programs, Dept of Ag)

HUD
- Housing Voucher: $7,148

Pennsylvania Utility Commission
- Lifeline: landline ($30 for instillation and $200 interest free loan/yr) and cell phone with 200 min and 250 text and email ($480/yr)
- PA Weatherization Assistance Program: Ave. $6,500/per household

Department of Agriculture
- Farmers Market Nutritional Program $20

Department of Education lunch programs
- National School Lunch Program ($5/day)
- School Breakfast Program ($3/day)
- Child and Adult Care Food Program ($5/day)
- After School Snack Program ($2/day)
- Summer Food Services Program ($5/day)
- At-Risk Afterschool Meals Program ($5/day)

Department of Health
- Healthy Woman Program (free clinical breast examination, cervical cancer screenings, mammogram, pelvic examination, pap smear and follow up diagnostics to low income women): $1,245
- Bureau of Community Health Immunization Program

Department of Insurance
- SCHIP (included in Medical Assistance)

Legal Services Corporation
- 2010 federal budget $420,000,000, assisted 2.3 million people in 2011: $182.61/person @ LSC.GOV

Tax Breaks
- Earned income tax credit: $4,800
- Additional Child Tax Credit: $2000
- Withholdings return on $0 taxable income: $1900

Education
- Pell Grant: Maximum $5,500
- Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant: Grants up to $4,000 per year. - Students who have been awarded a Federal Pell Grant receive priority.
- National SMART Grant: Maximum $4,000 (National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grant: students in third or fourth year of college.)
- Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant: Max: $4,000 to be a teacher.

Department of Education and Office of Childhood Development in DPW
- Head Start: $6,700 per child/2009 in PA per HHS numbers
- Early Head Start: $6,700 per child/2009 in PA per HHS numbers

� 2013, Distributed by NEWS CONSORTIUM.
- - -

Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.

Keywords: welfare, minimum wage, government spending, reform

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1 - 10 of 12 Comments

Rob502
2 months ago
I have no idea where all the benefits are going. I am on disability. I do not make a lot. I only get sixteen dollars a month in food stamps! Its the single women with kids that are getting it all. To heck with us single guys.
I have been trying to get a PT job. Due to my disability, no one wants to hire me. I am up for a job now, and hope to hear something this week. But while I am hopeful, I am not optimistic.
I am 50, and with the exception of one job, all jobs have been min wage. So, to the people that say that very few people work for min wage, you are nuts, do not know what you are talking about, or a parrot for Rush and Hanity.
I would like to get rid of much help as I can, but I need the disability, and the medical.
I for one am grateful for it, and doing all that I can to help myself.
I am willing, and able to do what I can, wound someone take a chance on me, and people like me? I am willing to work holidays, as long as I can get to church once a week, and the Dr. I will do just about anything that you need.
I will tell you this. I was down at the food stamp office once, and saw these people with smart phones, expensive finger nail work, high priced hair styles, and nice clothing. And were yelling about their food stamps. And her I am getting 16 bucks. HA!

The root is the break down of the family. And the government does not help. They should be putting funds to vocational training, and tie benefits to that. But all the money is put toward collages. Its a racket.

Please, pray for me. I need it. And pray that I can get a decent part time job soon.

PAX
Robert
2 months ago
Now let's watch and see if the USCCB supports an increase in the minimum wage.
Robert Burford
2 months ago
Where was the father of these children? Years ago when ADIC issued checks . Women had children would receive then on the first of the month. At work we would call it " Mothers Day" because all these big muscular men would come by the post office and very concerned about their mothers welfare check and why their mothers had not received the check.They stopped sending out checks years ago but I still remember "Mothers Day" once a month. The biggest welfare is not government but children mooching off their parents. Parents give out of love and enable willingly. Its not mothers with children that I worry about. It is strong health men and women who may not have many skills but would rather live off of family than use their God given skills productively. During the depression my uncles who had jobs would give money to my grandmother who was a widow to support the younger siblings. Where is that generosity today? They did not have to do it. We are a selfish self centered society.
Carmine Troncone
2 months ago
Very few people actually work for minimum wage. I'm 45, have only a high school diploma and I have not worked for minimum wage since I was a teenager. If I lost my job today I could walk into most fast food places an get a job paying a dollar or two more than minimum wage. Keep in mind it is a minimum wage not a livable wage. You should not expect to support a family on minimum wage. Minimum wage is for people who are entering the workforce for the first time. If you raise the minimum wage too high it will just price people out of the job market such as teenagers or maybe someone just out of jail and trying to reenter society. Someone like me might not be willing to work a few extra hours at night to supplement my income for 7 or 8 dollars an hour. Raise the minimum wage to 10 to 12 dollars then yea I might take that job at a coffee shop for a few hours a night. Now do you think Kent T. is going to hire me with my proven work history or take a chance on some kid or guy who just got out of rehab? It may seem compashonate or socially just to raise the minimum wage(after all your not paying it) but that's just not the way economies work.
Kent Trompeter
2 months ago
I am trying to hire a person for part-time work and can't, why? Because it would mean they would stop getting welfare and food stamps, people would much rather just sit on their collective butts!
KATHY
2 months ago
I am for helping anyone who really needs help. Welfare is meant to be temporary. The idea that it is a lifestyle is because the government has allowed it to be a lifestyle. The government has created dependency. Starting in the 1960's, instead of a hand up, it just became a what can I get from the government. I truely believe that if one lies to get welfare, that is a very dangerous sin. You are stealing. The government has also created a means for people to breed illegitament children, by providing housing, food stamps, mcaid, and monthly assistance. I know I sound harsh. Believe me, as I first stated, I would help anyone in need, but this is outragous. We have a whole generation of people who really have no desire to work or to be responsible for their actions. Its really really sad.
Rob
3 months ago
What awful place did you get that picture? So glad this isn't a Christian site. Geez.
Robert
3 months ago
If only the Social Jusctice crowd could understand what they are doing to the American family.

"If a man does not work a man should not eat."
Tammy
3 months ago
My issue with raising the minimum wage is that things will just become more expensive so people receiving minimum wage will still be in the same position. Just my thought.
mgm.
3 months ago
Stagnant wages have been with us for 40 years now ,I was told when I worked that if the line workers pay increases had kept pace with our company's CEO pay we be getting paid 300 dollars a hour not 16 .All Americans pay taxes sure people with low incomes do not pay federal income tax but like been pointed out many times but of course not in the article above pay loco taxes on every thing else like food ,gasoline .electric . heating oil.trash pickup ,and sales tax when they buy that used car.What's with president Obama's photo on the food stamp above he didn't create the program.( what a class act News Consortium is ) President Obama recently proposed a increase in the minimum wage the Republicans had a stroke !The article's Freudian-slip in print "giving the mob (not "masses ),bread and circuses "gives away what the writer really thinks of Americans in need.

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