List of Pros and Cons of Welfare

Many Americans are under the misguided belief that all of their hard earned money goes out of the window to support those who are simply too lazy to work. While this sentiment is certainly untrue, the age old question about the effectiveness of welfare weighs heavy on the minds of many. The following is a closer investigation of the pros and cons of welfare.

Pros of Welfare

1. Children Benefit
No child deserves to be born to parents who are unable to handle the financial responsibility of providing food and shelter for them. Unfortunately, we do not live in a perfect world. Without welfare, all of these unfit parents would be forced to let their children starve and go without proper shelter. Punishing children for the acts of their parents is not what American society was built upon.

2. Increased Access To Medical Care
Allowing citizens to have the same access to necessary medical care as their more well-heeled counterparts is pivotal to American society’s continued success. When a person is struggling to find consistent employment, they also have a tough time obtaining a quality health insurance policy. For those with disabilities, welfare is a literal life saver.

3. Crime Is Reduced
While it is hard to attribute crime statistics to any specific law or government policy, it is easy to imagine that a citizen whose basic needs are met will not resort to a life of crime in order to keep food on the table. Clothing, food and shelter are all basic necessities of life and those who cannot receive them legally tend to take them, by any and all means necessary.

Cons of Welfare

1. Welfare Fraud
Whenever a program comes along to help the greater good, there is always a small crowd of bad apples who are ready to exploit it. Unfortunately, the government would need a small army to fully investigate every instance of welfare fraud. These criminals reduce the chances of help being distributed to those who are truly in need.

2. Keeps Marriages From Taking Place
If a person is receiving welfare, they have very little, if any, motivation to ever get married. Once a person marries, their spouse’s income is added to theirs and this will typically keep them from being eligible to receive further benefits. When someone is working at a low wage job or can’t work consistently, they cannot afford to jeopardize their benefits in any way.

3. Leads To Dependence
When people are allowed to receive money while they are out of work, it can create a feeling of dependence. Less motivated workers may grow used to getting a check for doing nothing and wish to prolong the process for as long as possible. The longer a person stays out of work, the more their skills will decline and deteriorate.