Though welfare abuse does, of course, occur, it can not be as prevalent as the misunderstandings about it are. The problem comes from most people's lack of understanding about welfare, the amount of money it provides, who is eligible, etc. A lot of people will write off any poor person as a welfare recipient, which is not the case. In addition, people in poor communities with access to top of the line electronic equipment, clothes, etc. did not necessarily get those goods from government money, and thus a criminal element is unfairly tied in with welfare, which is a fallacy.
Welfare, by its very nature, is meant to help people get out of the worst of circumstances, such as homelessness, starvation, and an inability to provide for one's children. There are several kinds of welfare, some earmarked for use only to buy...
Also, the amount of money provided on welfare is meant to be subsistence living. It is not equivalent to the salary of a middle-class person or even a lower-middle class person. Legislation has provided that welfare is meant is to get people to work and not allow them to stay on in the system very long. As such, welfare is becoming a less and less reliable means of support.
There is no question that some people find ways to circumvent an imperfect government-run system like welfare. They get money that they are not entitled to and spend it recklessly. Often these are young people or people who have other means of support (even illegal means). They are clearly committing fraud, but they cannot be taken as representative of the average welfare recipient.
