In today’s society, two types of major governmental programs – universal and targeted –are used all over the world in aims to reduce poverty and help the poor get above the poverty line. Universal governmental programs are programs that give need and benefits to anyone in the country no matter how much wealth or income they have. Countries like, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany and Sweden have a universal health care system, where everyone receives free healthcare. Targeted, also known as means-tested programs are programs that are only given to families and individuals that fall below a certain income level. The United States uses the targeted governmental programs for all forms of benefits. The largest targeted governmental program seen in the United States is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps. In order to qualify for SNAP families must fall below a certain income level and must demonstrate a need for assistance. In recent times, universal governmental programs have received most of the support over targeted programs for many reasons.
Of the two governmental programs, universal benefits are more widely accepted among citizens than targeted (Nelson, 2004). These methods are both used to reduce poverty and income inequality. Poverty resorts from many things in a country, some of those things are work rates and wages, some people work all day and all night but do not make enough money to get out of poverty. Some families’ incomes
There are many strengths within the SNAP Program. However, with these advantages come limitations. One major advantage that many SNAP households appreciate is the development of the Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT). Individuals using the EBT card feel that by using a plastic form of payment, it is inconspicuous. It reduces the stigma many people feel from using SNAP benefits. Another advantage with the EBT card is that individuals no longer have to go anywhere to receive benefits. The benefits are directly deposited onto the card, and many households like this feature. A third advantage of SNAP is the nondiscrimination policy. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) does not tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital and family status. Another advantage that many people in the United States find helpful is
A nation-wide social issue in contemporary Canadian society is relative poverty. Universal basic income (UBI), or ‘basic income’, is a model which aims to eliminate it. In this response, I will argue that UBI can reduce relative poverty in Canada. Subsequently, that the reduction of relative poverty will also improve both physical and mental health as well as diminish income discrimination in Canada. Since income inequality not only creates poverty but also is a social determinant of health. To accomplish this, I briefly outline the current state of Canadian poverty, the tenets of UBI, and the benefits that can stem from its establishment. Concludingly, discussing a measuring mechanism to ensure that the relative poverty is being resolved.
According to “Poverty in the U.S. and the Supplemental Poverty Measure” in 2011, the 46.2 million persons in the United States had income below the poverty line. The statistics in the poverty rate did not differ from the prior year. This is evidence that relieving poverty in the United States should be the priority. In addition, differences between government operations in various countries can affect the efforts to reduce poverty on a global level, as Thomas states, “The
Most of these families and individuals now are in programs like Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, also known as welfare(National Coalition,2009), Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. These programs provide cash, health care benefits and food for these families and most individuals helping the individuals or families to get back on their feet although some will get denied for such help.
Administered by the USDA, the goal of the program is to alleviate hunger and malnutrition for low-income families, adults and seniors. The program is considered one of the largest and most successful solutions in decreasing food insecurity among senior Americans. The USDA pays 100% of all SNAP/Food Stamp benefits to the states that share the administration cost with the federal government. Congress reauthorizes the SNAP program every five years as part of the Farm Bill, the reauthorization determines who is eligible and addresses benefit levels and program accessibility (Fox, Hamilton, & Lin, 2011, p. 30-33). The USDA has implemented a program to create incentive for low-income seniors to purchase more fresh fruits and vegetables using food stamp. The USDA and other state agencies, businesses, nonprofits and the AARP to draw in low-income seniors to eat healthy foods, have supported the program. The program gives increases the number of establishments that accepts food stamp payment by giving dollar for dollar matches for food purchased by eligible seniors. The program labeled as the Seniors Farmers Market Nutrition Program SFMNP also establishes educational programs about good nutrition in area grocery stores and farmer’s markets (USDA, 2015, p.
Medicaid, WIC Programs, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program known as “food stamps”, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and HUD which deals with housing are only a few of the programs that are available for the poor and underemployed today. These government programs cost the taxpayers billions of dollars. State and federal government try every year to reduce programs. In Mississippi, Medicaid has been reduced although children and the disabled are still covered. SNAP commonly known as food stamps have also been reduce and restricted to balance both the state and federal government. At the height of the recession, the last few years, has increased the number of single bread winner families seeking help by applying for government welfare programs. We often hear of people selling their food stamps for things that are not approved. These stories are used by the people who do not think that tax money should be used to support people who do not work. Changing the name of “welfare” to TANF has not slowed the
No matter which country you would look into whether it’s from wealthier to those less wealthy countries through the eyes of economics, there are bound to be types of inequity within their borders. Inequity is a very crucial problem in the United States, you would think that our economy here in the states is booming, and the citizens are living life easy or without worry. Life is the United States isn’t as it seems, in fact, Inequity is in fact a big problem even in the United States. Over the years, there has been millions of Americans that were considered to be in poor or in poverty line that are not able to provide for themselves and their families. We can sadly see those Americans on the streets, cars or shelters unable to keep-ends meet that are not able to keep a decent paying job. That is why throughout this paper I’ll be discussing why inequity is a big issue in the United States from how income is distributed through causes of income inequality, social status, and even how the government interventions is trying to alleviate income inequity.
75% of people eligible for the SNAP program actually use it, 44% of all participants are children and ⅔ of those children live with a single parent, 76% of all benefits go to houses with children, 11.9% og benefits go to the disabled, and 10% goes to senior citizens(“SNAP”). 39.8% of participants are White, 25.5% are Black, 10.9% are Hispanic, 2.4% are Asian, and 1% are Native American(“SNAP”). More than half of the recipients are children or the elderly while the rest are unemployed working age individuals, only about 10% of all recipients receive cash welfare benefits(“SNAP”). Andrew Bernstein said, “Because a disproportionate number of black Americans were poor in the late 1960s, and because the Civil Rights Movement of that era was an attempt to redress a century of racial injustices, the governments war on poverty coalesced into a campaign heavily directed towards blacks… disintegration of the family as the single greatest problem confronting black Americans”(Haugen & DeMott). Undocumented immigrants cannot and have never been able to get benefits, documented immigrants can only get benefits if they have lived in the US for five years, but there are exceptions for this including benefits for refugees, children, and individuals staying in the US to avoid persecution in their own country(“SNAP”). The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation act (PRWORA) enforced welfare
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a government program for low-income individuals and families which allows them to receive nutrition assistance. Previously known as the Federal Food Stamp Program, SNAP was renamed in 2008 to fight stigma of those who participate in the program. The first food stamp program can date back to 1939 and was created by Milo Perkins who was able to see a solution for both farmers who had surpluses of crops and the undernourished population within the town.
The Government tries to tell people what that they can and cannot do when it comes to food stamps. This is not fair to the people who use SNAP Assistance clearly telling people what they can and cannot buy with SNAP Assistance is nonchalant. The United States government should not be able to tell people what they could buy with their SNAP because it is unconstitutionalize. SNAP Assistance is a government controlled program that helps low-income Americans put food on the table, providing benefits that are timely targeted,and temporary. SNAP beneficiaries receive what looks like a debit card, with which they pay in supermarkets. Ways you can get food stamps are; Current food stamp programs have little work required as a condition of assistance, encouraging the relatively well off the system and those in head to remain in poverty The Nutrition Assistance Program is targeted at our
In the article, “The Case For Free Money: Why Don’t We Have Universal Basic Income,” James Surowiecki presents the benefits of a universal basic income and why it is appealing to workers and politicians. After an experiment, known as “Mincome,” implanted universal basic income in Dauphin during the 1970s, evidence clearly shows that the Canadian town received remarkable advantages, such as lowered dropout rates and hospitalization rates. The idea of universal basic income is not new, however, it is regaining popularity. Contrary to popular belief, some from both the Democratic and Republican parties support assured basic income, Surowiecki claims. The current push for universal basic income is emboldened by the rising concern of advancing
In 1935, Franklin Roosevelt signed into law the Social Security Act which, among other things, provided for the financial, medical, and material needs of the poor (Komisar 125,128). Since then, there have many additions and reforms to the bill, none of which has served to quell the controversy surrounding the effectiveness of the welfare system in the United States. The main concerns of the distribution of welfare dollars and resources can be answered by the questions ?Who gets assistance?? and ?How much do they receive??. The U.S. welfare system is administered by the Department of Health and Human Services, which attempts to answer these questions through a system of minimum incomes, government-calculated poverty levels, number of children, health problems, and many other criteria. This complicated system leads to one of the critiques of the welfare system?that it is too large and inefficient. President Lyndon Johnson declared a ?War on Poverty? in 1964 designed to alleviate the burden of the poor and established the Food Stamp program the next year (Patterson 139). In 1996, a major welfare reform bill was passed that placed time limits on welfare assistance, required able participants to actively seek employment, and implemented additional services for the needy (Patterson 217).
The SNAP program is based on the gross income a family makes and does not take into account the expenses that the family has such as school loans, car payments, and even household items such as diapers. Due to this system, many people who are working and making an effort to improve their lives are unable to make progress because this type of
SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, has been in existence since May 16, 1939. The original food stamp program allowed consumers to purchase food stamps, essentially giving them $1.50 for every dollar they spent on food. It was meant to get farm surpluses to urban areas where people were undernourished (USDA). SNAP, or the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, is designed to reduce food insecurity, which can be described as reduced food intake, disrupted eating patterns due to lack of money or
Poverty is a social problem that affects everyone on an economic, political and social level. The problem of human suffering is one that we must combat strategically on many levels. According to the United Nations, “in 2015 more than one billion people around the world live in a state of poverty, lacking the basic goods food, clothing, and shelter that humans need to survive” (“Poverty”). There are a great number of areas that keep individuals poor, such as lack of resources, inadequate income, lack of education, language barriers and the high cost of child care. Being able to work and provide basic necessities is our basic human right and we should not be deprived of these basic human rights that individuals need in order to live satisfying lives. The government has the responsibility of helping individuals in need with the economic assistance to feed, clothe, house, educate, provide health care and decent wages for every individual. They should ensure that individuals have access to resources that will help them build a better future. There are several ways that we can work together to strategically find solutions to end inequality among the poor individuals in our society.