A 1990's report that a New York-based firm, Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation, filed states, "is the first carefully controlled research on the effect of time limits, which represent a radical departure from welfare policies of the past six decades and were among the most bitterly disputed provisions when Congress rewrote the nation's welfare laws" (Vobejda, 1998). This is referring to the Florida study that is in the earlier section of this paper.
Studies show that when faced with limitations on assistance they are more active in pursuing other options or in this case, employment or school. Vobejda concludes that studies like the Florida study referred to as the Family Transition Program, promoted the idea of allowing families to retain the welfare payments and receive a majority of their work training earnings. Of the 929 families tracked by the program that were set to lose their benefits by June of 1997, only 102 families reached the limit with only one family not getting their benefits cancelled (Vobejda, 1998). How many of these families would still be drawing benefits if they had not been forced to react?
Another indication that the time limits had an impact comes from Michael Kharfen, spokesman for U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said the number of people collecting AFDC has dropped from 14.1 million in January 1993 to 12.8 million in February 1996 partly as a result of a newfound urgency among states to "end welfare as we know it" (O'Neill, 1996)
There is not much research that was found after the beginning of 2000. Most of the available research was from the middle to late 1990's, but all seen while researching this topic seem to indicate the same results as seen in the research used for this paper. Francis concludes his report for the National Bureau of Economic Research by stating, "The recent boost in the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), which provides a wage subsidy...
Government assisted programs like welfare were meant as temporary source of income while a family gets back on its feet but the abuse of the system in the past was rampant. Welfare is not a bad thing especially when it comes to the elderly, disabled, widows, and orphans; but some used it as a way to cheat the system and the hard working taxpayers by not trying to find employment.
By imposing time limits, the motivation is there for the individual to get a job or enroll in a training program or college. This researcher supports helping the less fortunate as long as they are helping themselves. Time limits brought relief to the overburdened welfare system of the past and must be kept in place, if society is not going to advance in the wrong direction. Take away the time limits and we will see an increase in the number of individuals and families staying on the system with no intentions of trying to better or improve their selves.
References
Francis, D. "Effects of Welfare Time Limits." National Bureau of Economic Research. 2010. Retrieved on May 7, 2010 from http://www.nber.org/digest/jul01/w8153.html
Vobejda, B. "Cut Off Welfare by Time Limits, Most Found Jobs, Fla. Study Finds." The Washington Post. Washington Post Newsweek Interactive Co. 1998. HighBeam Research. 7 May. 2010 .
"WELFARE REVOLUTION IS HAVING an IMPACT TIME LIMITS and WORK REQUIREMENTS CAUSING WELFARE ROLLS to DECLINE.(News/National/International)." Rocky Mountain News (Denver, CO). Thomson Scientific, Inc. 1996. HighBeam Research. 7 May. 2010 .
