Also, many people fail to realize that there are now limits for how long you can get any kind of assistance…and that it's not like it was decades ago when you just had to keep having kids to get it. These days, in most places anyway, (kids or not, single-parent or not) you are expected to find work rather immediately. And, in my state, as well as many others, there is a lifetime limit (5 years in my state). This means that if you are on it for 1 year while getting back on your feet, but a year or two (or even ten or twenty years) later you find yourself on hard times again you only have 4 years left…and no matter how many times you have to go back to it you are not allowed to use the entire time left…you are still expected to find work again pretty much immediately. It is designed so that you don't use it all up at once and you have it there to use again if needed, because sometimes hard times fall on a person more than once in a lifetime.

The only way to get around this is to prove you have a permanent disability in which case you are still not allowed to just keep collecting the same kind of benefits. Instead, you are deferred to applying for Social Security Disability and proving your case to them…which again, though sometimes abused and/or over exaggerated, isn't as easy to do as some people think. The myth that regular people are sitting home collecting checks and living the high life for ever off the backs of working tax payers is running ignorantly rampant. There will always be a few who manage to buck the system…but for the most part it's regular, hard working people who have also payed plenty of taxes into the system that is designed to then help them temporarily when they fall on hard times. And, many people fail to realize that fact…most people who receive assistance have already pre-paid what they get through their own taxes because very few of them have NEVER worked a day in their life.

I'm not going to even get into the many things that are wrong with the idea that drug testing welfare recipients. You touched on them all and I agree with everything you wrote on that subject. I could go on for another 10 paragraphs on that one and I've already droned on long enough. I just wanted to share my experience and insight and tell you that I commend you for stating an unpopular opinion that needs to be shared. I thought it was very well thought out and well written…and showed that you really gave it some logical thought backed up by personal experience. The problem is that few people will realize this same train of thought, because the people that throw around all these strong opinions don't bother to educate themselves on the matter and often have never had any experiences with the system so they don't know how it really works. They base their opinions on what they've been told by other people, what they hear in the media, and the ever-present stigmas that go along with the need for government assistance…and they form these emotionally charged, knee-jerk reactions that don't do any good in fixing the real issues with the system. But, again, I commend you for sharing your experiences and expressing your opinion even though it is not a popular one, despite how logical it is

I was lucky enough to have gone to college before I had children, though I did not finish due to said unplanned but well worth it children. But, since I had less than one year left I was allowed to finish my associates degree and use my class time to fill some of my weekly required hours, though I had to hang my head in shame every time I had to explain to a professor why they had to sign off on my class time. I can't think of any reason why I couldn't just get a copy of my attendance record from the registrar's office at my school, for which I would not need to explain me need for, and submit it to my case-worker…other than to make me feel shame upon having to reveal my situation to my professors, which with 8-week semesters and four new classes every semester, forced me to relive this many times over the course of that year. Any remaining hours that my class time didn't fill had to be filled by volunteer work. Upon completing my degree I got a job, got off cash assistance, and slowly worked my way off what little food stamps and medical coverage I had still been eligible for…and I never looked back.

It's not the free ride people think it is. They are involved in and control every aspect of your life while you receive assistance…and they are on your tail the entire time to find work immediately. And I'm not even disputing that they shouldn't be this involved or controlling…just pointing out that it's not as easy as some think and it's way more shaming and embarrassing than it needs to be in order to achieve its intended goals. For most people it takes a lot of pride swallowing to even ask for help…and the system should not be shaming them any more than necessary…such as making professors sign off on class time or requiring employers to fill out tons of forms verifying employment, amount of hours worked, and amount of income, when there are more discreet, respectful, and humane ways of verifying that information…like attendance records or pay check stubs. I mean, they already require you to submit your pay check stubs, so why do they need more forms stating the exact same information they already have? Again, as a way to shame the person by making them reveal their very personal situation. Not to mention, that due to the extensive "proofs" they require from outside parties (like employers) they actually just create more barriers to people finding work because employers are more likely to choose an applicant that doesn't require them to fill out a ton of extra paperwork, even though the person going through the employment program may be better qualified and/or a better worker…the employers don't want to deal with their excess neediness and as soon as they know you're getting any assistance they judge you based on the common "welfare abuser" stigma despite that your work history and background may show the complete opposite.

To be continued again…

I have always worked since the day I turned 14 and could get a work permit. I live in a rural tourist area that has very few year-round, full-time jobs…nearly everyone has seasonal jobs with a 2-month slow period in the spring and fall where there are few (if any at all) hours to be had anywhere. Sometimes you are lucky enough to find a winter job and a summer job that you can return to each year and manage to save and stretch money during slow times…and many people I know (including myself) hold 2 or even 3 par-time job during the slow seasons just to make ends meet. It's not that hard if you are single, without kids, or a couple with 2 incomes…but for single parents and couples with one income it can be tough. Often times you can get some partial unemployment during the slow months depending on the jobs you hold during the "On Seasons".

When I fell on hard times I reluctantly applied for assistance, and my immediate thought upon facing all the hoops I had to jump through, was wow this is not as easy as I've heard. I managed to get them the proofs needed and was approved for medicaid for the children, a small amount of cash, and food stamps. Almost immediately I got a letter stating that because I was an able-bodied person with no children under the age of 12 months that I had to go through an employment program (done through the unemployment agency) in order to keep the assistance. The very next week I was at an orientation…and since I live in the boondocks the closest social services office is an hour away, which was costly in gas for a person down on their luck.

It was an hour-and-a-half seminar on the rules of the program, the penalties for non-compliance, and the incentives to work. We were given a 200+ page portfolio that we were responsible for completing, which covered finding your marketable job skills, the benefits of work, creating a budget, and all your job search related activities. We then had to set up a schedule of 20 to 40 hours per week (depending on how many kids you had, if you had child care, and whether the state paid for that child care) which included various types of job searching and schooling/job training…and any remaining time had to be spent in some kind of volunteer position approved by your case-worker and the program. All activities had to be documented and signed by some kind of official person (like managers at places you applied for work at, supervisors at your volunteer positions, teachers, and people at the unemployment offices where you would be forced to do most of your job hunting activities like typing resumes and cover letters, or using online resources and submitting electronic applications).

The ultimate goal was to have found work within the six-week design…unless you opted to take advantage of a few short-term education opportunities, which you could potentially take up to one year to complete. As soon as you obtained job your cash assistance was stopped immediately with no time to really get back on your feet and get ahead, food stamps and medicaid are based on your income in my state so you may still get to keep some limited assistance from them depending on your new income level.

To be continued…