Welfare Programs

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As an American citizen, individuals are entitled to various means of assistance from not only the federal government, but from state legislature as well. However, as part of a recently formed Congressional Committee, I am faced with the decision of choosing to eliminate one of three vital welfare programs due to their being no option for reconstruction of any one of these programs. Options at hand for removal include Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Although all of these are vital, however I am recommending the elimination of the TANF due to circumstances that cause it to be essentially less crucial than the other two programs. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) is a program that supplies grant funds to states to provide families with financial assistance and other related services such as job preparation and work assistance. However, each state determines the benefits it will provide to the individuals therefore varying benefit amounts across participants. In addition, payments are made on a temporary basis and individuals are unable to collect benefits for more than 5 years. Moreover, TANF requires that qualified people participate in a job related activity or accept a job if offered one as well. Penalizations to the state may occur if …show more content…
Funded by general tax revenues instead of social security taxes, the SSI program benefits aged, blind, and disabled individuals who have little to no income. Unlike other programs, SSI pays out cash to provide for the basic needs of food, clothing, and shelter. However, SSI benefits are much greater than other programs provided by the federal government. Furthermore, SSI provides greater work incentives than other programs. As seen from the findings above, SSI is necessary to maintain in the welfare program

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