Welfare Work Requirements Ease Poverty and Improve Our Labor Force

By Richard V. Burkhauser, Council of Economic Advisors

Trump administration policies are responsible for a faster growing, more robust economy, which is incentivizing millions of Americans to get off the sidelines and back into the job market. But to continue to grow our economy, we will need capable workers. One place to find these workers is among low-income Americans who currently receive welfare benefits. While our welfare programs provide important assistance to help families make ends meet, especially in bad economic times, they don’t do enough to encourage work and eventual self-sufficiency in good times.

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The Trump administration recognizes this issue, which is why President Donald Trump signed an executive order in April instructing agencies to encourage and require work in welfare programs whenever possible under current law.

A new report from the President’s Council of Economic Advisers shows why these efforts could bring more potential workers into the workforce. During the 1990s, a bipartisan effort transformed our cash welfare system by requiring and rewarding work among recipients. The result was an increase in single mothers’ employment, a lesser reliance on welfare programs and a reduction in poverty. But today, most welfare assistance to low-income families comes via non-cash programs such as health insurance and food stamps that do not require most non-disabled recipients to work or prepare to work in return for these taxpayer-provided benefits.

Work is the best way to escape poverty

As we show in our report, perhaps contrary to conventional wisdom, in a given month, the majority of Medicaid and food stamps adult beneficiaries are of working age and not disabled. Focusing solely on this “expected to work” population, we find that the majority do not work. That’s a problem because work is the single most important way to escape poverty, providing both “dignity,” in the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 50 years ago, as well as the promise of more income than is possible while receiving welfare. And, in this hot economy, jobs are available.

Shared from Whitehouse.gov

RELATED: Trump’s Plan To Take People From Welfare To Work

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Cp123
Cp123
5 years ago

There is no need for the amount of people on welfare except the seriously medically, intellectually challenged. Stop the waste. Historic unemployment and no need.

Jeanette
Jeanette
5 years ago

It’s about time. If you didn’t earn, it you shouldn’t have it, phone, TV, Cable, pop, alcohol, stake, lobster, ready to eat meals, and candy. Fringe benefits should be earned not given.
I work for a company that cares for people with disabilities, and they go to work every day, to pay for their living arrangements, so you can to.

Karel Eekels
Karel Eekels
5 years ago

Sanity, words f wisdom spoken here.

Martin Korab
Martin Korab
5 years ago

What president Trump is doing is finding jobs for everyone, even the people on welfare. When a person is employed and is earning his or her own money, they are definitely better respected as a citizen who carries their own weight in society. President Trump is really God’s Gift to the United States of America, because he cares about the respect for all of us. God Bless President Trump and his Administration always. GO TRUMP ! GO PENCE ! Sincerely, Martin Korab

Tony Winters
Tony Winters
5 years ago

At some time in the lives of many people their comes a time when they need help and that is what the Welfare System was supposed to be, but over the years it has become a way of life and under obama’s Socialist Regime it got completely out of control.
Once again President Trump is making America Great Again by putting OUR People to work.
The next step is to remove all of the Illegal Aliens from the Welfare Rolls, if you take away the money there is no reason for them to come here or to stay here

Carl J Bujan Jr
Carl J Bujan Jr
5 years ago

I agree, and we should stop all welfare to illegal aliens.

Mathew Mok
Mathew Mok
5 years ago

Was it not Jesus himself that said those that do not work, neither shall they eat.

There is a ajor problem for getting skilled workers, though from anywhere let alone welfareites. . We need tech savvy and skilled trades people, not snowflakes with bachelor’s in urban studies and master’s in ebonics. – Better yet why did they eliminate all industrial arts programs and classes in high schools and move even the bare basics to community collages? – Seems like the school boards WANT to make sure the kids come out being useless snowflakes with no saleable skills. Hey school boards,,,,,Teach the kids to read a tape ruler, not the koran!

Joan Swartz
Joan Swartz
5 years ago

Enough said! Put able-bodied and mentally stable Americans to work.

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