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Slumping Economy Tests Aid System Tied to Jobs
The program that responded most readily to the recession, food stamps, has done so in large part because it serves the working poor and jobless alike.
In the 12 months ending this February, the rolls grew 17 percent. One in 9 Americans now gets food stamps, and the recovery package temporarily raised the
average benefit about 19 percent, to about $500 a month for a family of four ...
Much of the recovery act spending expires in two years. What happens then?
No one envisions a return to the time of unconditional aid.
Even critics of the tougher welfare system credit it for raising employment rates ...
“It worked better than, I think, a lot of people anticipated,” Mr. Obama said at a campaign event last year.
“One of the things that I am absolutely convinced of is that we have to have work as a centerpiece of any social policy.”
But progress had stalled even before the recession began, and two sets of problems had emerged.
One is that the neediest people — the addicted, disabled or mentally ill — often fell through the cracks, finding neither welfare nor work.
Another is that most low-wage workers were failing to advance ...
NYT 31 May 2009
28m on food stamps
Food stamps are a continuing reminder of widespread poverty
Punishing the Jobless
' ... but they can’t take jobs that aren’t there ... '
The answer is that we’re facing a coalition of the heartless, the clueless and the confused ...
When the economy is booming, and lack of sufficient willing workers is limiting growth, generous unemployment benefits may keep employment lower than it would
have been otherwise.
But as you may have noticed, right now the economy isn’t booming — again, there are five unemployed workers for every job opening.
Cutting off benefits to the unemployed will make them even more desperate for work — but they can’t take jobs that aren’t there ...
NYT 04 July 2010
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