The Pros and Cons of Welfare

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Welfare can be defined as health, happiness, and good fortune; well-being; Prosperity; and Financial or other aid provided, especially by the government, to people in need (Merriam-Webster, 2014). It can be very beneficial to people in need of it. Tim Prenzler stated that, “Welfare systems are often seen as providing a ‘safety net’ that prevents citizens falling below a minimum standard of living (2012, p2). Everyone is able to use is if they are in need of it. People have successfully used welfare to get out of their slum, and started to support themselves. Others have decided to not try to get out of that slum, and live off that welfare. They decided that they didn’t have to try, and let the government support them. Welfare is a good tool for people to get back on their feet, but shouldn’t be that persons steady income. Social welfare is the use of material and physical aid by the government for its citizens in need. It comes in the form of unemployment compensation, food stamps, retirement benefits, and various social services ranging from drug rehabilitation to child care assistance. Also, before there was public welfare provided by the government, there was private welfare issued by private organizations, like churches and groups of individuals wanting to help the less fortunate. Some of those institutions still live on today, and provide people with food, shelter and clothing. Those places are where the ideas of public welfare started, and soon worked their way up to the people that could make those decisions. Unemployment compensation is given when an individual is unemployed, and cannot pay for the necessities. That payment is intended to be used to buy clothes, food, pay bills, ect. Other types of welfare that are commonly used are retirement benefits. Retirement benefits are given out to individuals who have reached the age of 65, and have accumulated money in taxes over their lifetime. Different benefits for the retirees in include Child support is another type of welfare that is used in the system. Child support is used when a family is under the poverty line and have children that need to be supported to attend school, be fed, clothed and sheltered. Other types of welfare include ones that benefit the disabled, wether it be intellectually or physically.

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