Positive and Negative Effects of Welfare
Introduction
Welfare is basically a government run program that provides financial assistance to individuals, and groups who are unable to support themselves. By this program, an individual or family manages to pursue an improved living standard, job assistance, and educational opportunities. Besides these positive advantages of the Welfare Program, there are a few downsides too. Let us more about them in detail.
About welfare programs
Most of these programs obtain funding via support from taxpayers. This monetary assistance helps people to cope with the increased financial burden that is faced during trying times of their lives.
People who enroll under this program receive monetary assistance once or twice in a month for two to four weeks. The amount of financial assistance provided to people depends on the type of crisis they are presently facing, and their present status.
Positive effects of welfare program
Assist people at the time of need
Welfare programs aids an individual or family till the time they are facing financial contingencies. It is not a solution that is designed for long-term. You meet your fundamental needs. Welfare offer a âsafety netâ to people who suffer from disabilities that prevents them to work to their full capacity. There has been seen a decline in the poverty rate of people in the area where people receive funding through this Welfare program.
Reduce criminal activities in areas where earnings of people are low
Another advantage of a Welfare program is that they reduce crime in place where income earning is low. As per the study conducted in 2011, on the different cities of United States, it was found that the crime commission, and welfare payments are directly correlated with each other. Most of the criminal activities used to occur due to financial need. When families of these poor areas received welfare payments, then the rate of conflicts was seen to decline.
Children are benefited by this monetary aid
A vast majority of people who receive benefits from welfare program in the US are children. Nearly 50% of the total national and state level cases received by the government under the welfare program comprise of kids. As a part of this program, families are granted housing facilities, and subsidized childcare while they face these challenges.
Supplements the earning of working parents
Working parents who are entitled for welfare assistance gets benefited in the form of income supplementation. Most of the parents who are granted this assistance by the government are single parents who earnings are very low. The flexibility of this schedule helps them to manage their family requirements efficiently. Passing a drug test, qualifying the credit scores are the pre-requisites for them to get benefits under the welfare scheme.
Enables a family to survive through distressing financial circumstances
One of the best ways to deal with unexpected losses in health, automobile, home, or life of a person is by getting an insurance cover Welfare programs acts as an insurance cover. The monetary benefits that one receives as a part of this program helps people continue living their life despite of any extraordinary circumstances.
These programs are often seen as sort of socioeconomic insurance that provides free benefits to needy people. The money granted as a part of those welfare benefits gives a boost to the local economy.
Improves health of people
People who do not have good income canât access to healthcare services. Due to which they have a short lifespan in comparison to the ones who get to enjoy good healthcare services. Under welfare programs, children are regularly monitored as to whether they are getting proper nutrition or not with the help of blood tests.
The government sanction funds to under nutrition children for the betterment of their health. When found, that the funds are not used in the agreed ways, then government will reduce the fund amount or can even exclude families from this program.
Negative effects of Welfare program
Do not offer adequate money so as to bring a significant difference
The centralized income for welfare related benefits in less as compared to what incapable people need to survive through their critical phase. The combination of income, and family size becomes an issue to those who legitimately requires this assistance. When the funds provided under the program fails to meet the requirement, they have to look for other community sources like food bank to fulfill their needs.
Families face negative societal reactions
Families or people who avail welfare benefits are considered to be secondary / minor section in the society. They are often disregarded, and are viewed as apathetic, disinterested to work, and unreliable.
Not deals with the root cause of poverty
Though welfare programs provide financial assistance to poor people, but it doesnât address the causes that made them poor. Artificial intelligence, downsizing, automation, immigrants etc. are some of the factors that are behind loss of jobs. Government needs to focus on these areas too to assist people in the true sense.