The result of welfare reform from 1996 is that only 10?f all TANF (cash) cses have a "work capable"
person in it. 90?no one 'able' to work.
48?f all TANF household have NO adult member head of household - children only.
The caretaker is SSI parent, or another relative, aunt, grandmother, those who are not required to work to get cash for the children.
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How much does it cost each person, each year, to pay for welfare?
$1740.98 per year, for every man,woman, child in the United States.
Since about 25?re on the receiving end, it is actually higher, for those paying.
[Keep in mind of those paying no IRS tax, "18,000 were households taking in more than $500,000 -- and of those, 4,000 made more than $1 million".]
http://money.cnn.com/2011/05/09/pf/taxes/millionaires_income_tax/index.htm ~ ~ ~
Consider first the total spent (not counting Social Security or Medicare):
SSI – Supplemental security Income – not social security -for people who didn't work –
$50 Billion a year.
(see page 62 of the report)
http://www.ssa.gov/oact/ssir/SSI11/ssi2011.pdf Medicaid ( not medicare) spending 2010 - $389 Billion:
http://www.statehealthfacts.org/comparemaptable.jsp?ind=177&cat=4 Food stamps 2011 - $71 Billion:
http://www.statehealthfacts.org/comparetable.jsp?ind=25&cat=1 TANF (cash assistance for families - federal funds) $21 Billion 2009
http://archive.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ofs/data/2009/table_a1_2009.html (So I'm at $531 Billion a year (plus HUD, Energy, More).
Figures for 2012 will be higher.
Based on a population of 305 million, paying $531 Billion, is $1740.98 per person.
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But about 25?re on the receiving end.
Here is how I arrive at that:
The largest single welfare program is Medicaid (NOT Medicare).
20?f all citizens are on Medicaid - 2009 - more today.
http://www.statehealthfacts.org/comparemaptable.jsp?ind=199&cat=4 Another large program is food stamps (SNAP). About 47 million in a nation of about 305 million means about 15?
http://www.statehealthfacts.org/comparemaptable.jsp?ind=651&cat=1 There is considerable overlap between these groups.
The other welfare groups: SSI (not social security), TANF (cash assistance), housing (HUD), energy assistance, WIC, etc, would be contained in one of these two groups - total overlap.
So the total amount on 'welfare' (which we are saying does not include social security or Medicare, since they are contributed to by the beneficiary), and we are not considering VA beneficiaries, since they served their country to receive benefits, would be less than 35?
I put the number at about 25? possibly higher, but not much.
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NOTE:
There are some news stories out, putting the number as high as 47?
I have done some research of the studies that generated these numbers, and from what I see, the numbers make one talley for every program recipient. that is, if one person received both food stamps and medical assistance, that is 'two welfare program recipients' - even though only one person.
Here is one example:
http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/over-100-million-now-receiving-federal-welfare_649589.html We are told this information comes from "U.S. Census’s Survey of Income and Program Participation"j better know as 'SIPP'.
Here is the home page:
http://www.census.gov/sipp/ I invite the reader to wade through this to show I am mistaken.
I do not believe it can be done - but one has to extrapolate the information, no easy matter.
This report may be helpful:
http://www.census.gov/sipp/workpapr/wp246.pdf