United States Social Welfare Programs

United States Social Welfare Programs

According to Social Security Online research (2009), statistics, and policy analysis a little over 60 years ago, the Social Security Act was signed into law. This law changed how we as a Nation take care of our people. Social Security has become an American institution. Paid for by deductions from the paychecks of working Americans Social Security ensures that retired persons receive a modest monthly income and also provides unemployment insurance, disability insurance and other forms of assistance to Americans. Example: a man who served in the military for twenty years is able to retire and collect his social security check. Or a United States Postal worker. Or any other person who has worked, and reached the age of 65 may collect their social security check Recently, there has been a concern that the Social Security fund may not have enough money to fulfill its obligations in the 21st century, when the population of elderly Americans is expected to increase dramatically. Policy-makers have proposed various ways to make up the anticipated deficit, but a long -- term solution is still being debated.

According to Center for Law and Social Policy (1996) the most common form of welfare payment has been through a program called Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) . Originally designed to help children whose fathers had died, AFDC evolved into the main source of regular income for millions of poor American families. Certain aspects of the American welfare system-especially AFDC payments- came under criticism in the 1980's and 1990's, and the system it self became an issue in national elections. In the 1992 presidential campaign, for example then Governor Bill Clinton promised to "end welfare as we know it." The charge that social programs tend to trap the poor in dependency led to the 1996 redesign of certain federal programs. A new law overhauled welfare by replacing AFDC with state run assistance programs financed by federal grants (TANF- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) . The law also limits lifetime welfare assistance to five years, requires most able-bodied adults to work after two years on welfare, eliminates welfare benefits for legal immigrants who have not become U.S. citizens, and limits food stamps to a period of three months unless the recipients are working. Example: A young eighteen-year-old female who just had a child, but cannot find the father of her child, or doesn't know the father may collect AFDC for her child. However, if the child's father is located, he will be required to pay child support, and all AFDC payments back to the state.

According to the Food and Nutrition Service ( FNS) a federal agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a responsible for administering the WIC program at the national and regional levels. The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children -- better knows as the WIC program serves to safeguard the health of low-income women, infants, and children up to the age of 5 years old who are at nutritional risk by providing nutritious foods to supplement diets, information on healthy eating, and referrals to health care. A young single mother who is living on government assistance, and collecting food stamps is eligible for this programs if her children are under the age of five.