We have always talked about solutions to the welfare problem, but not the specific aid that welfare should give to the needy. So here they are the four essentials.
1. Medical Aid: People need to have their health maintained. But people on welfare (those who are not abusing the system) typically get sick. This is due to the lack of proper nutrition which weakens the poor person’s immune system. As such, making sure the poor have access to doctors to treat diseases is essential to keeping these people alive and healthy. This can be done in several ways however. You can give these people access to top quality health care by subsidizing health insurance so that the poor can go to any doctor of their choosing (that is if the doctors accept that insurance of course). But there is also the free clinic model which gives the poor access to care for free. Religious institutions and doctors may donate their time to helping the sick as well (something that can be sponsored by government or done as charity). However, these models seem to work best, but each has a draw back. Subsidizing health care or providing health care at the governmental level is expensive and the doctor is also under no obligation to accept the impoverished person’s coverage (though this is fairly rare). The free clinic model has the stigma of not always being the best in terms in the quality of care, while the religious and charitable model may be too small to help everyone. Each has a draw back, but they do help in there own way.
2. Food and general aid: Food and basic clothing are key to keeping people from having to need medical care, let alone starve. Soup kitchens and organizations like the Salvation Army help feed the poor and provide access to clothing and other items that people are in need of. By providing food we prevent people from being malnourished, keep them physically fit so that they have a wider options when it comes to job selection when they finally try to get off welfare. Clothing also is essential, for it not only keeps people warm in winter and cool in summer, but a suit that has been donated goes a long way in helping the impoverished person in an interview as they attempt to get off welfare. Donations seem to work best in combination with soup kitchens when it pertains to ensuring that the welfare is not abused. But there is also the food stamp model which helps the poor pay for the food that they want. However, it is easier to commit fraud in this system and the government has a vested interest in saying what an impoverished can and cannot eat. In a sense it is a potential waste of resources. But we are here to dissect what welfare should address, not how to fix it.
3. Job Training: Yup, job training is included. One part of the reason why people lose their job is because their skills become outmoded. In the age of computers and high tech devices it becomes harder to find a job suitable to skills of a previous generation such as wood working. People who do not find their niche or who appear to be under performing due to their lack of knowledge with technology and newer technology will be the first to be let go in times of financial crisis. Private groups and Charities due offer job training as well. Businesses that see good people that just need a chance will also help them to learn the skills they need. But that is not always enough. As such government also provides job training, whether it is them training the individual themselves or paying a private company to do the same job. Tax brakes are also offered to businesses if they themselves just need that financial leeway to train people themselves. There is no easy answer to this problem.
4. Unemployment: The final component is unemployment aid. This is simply money given to individuals who have lost their job and need help paying the bills. Sometimes it will be combined with the money that goes toward food and clothing as well. Usually the money you receive here is contingent on something like looking for a job, or has a set limit as to how long you may be on this form of welfare. As such, this may also be combined with job training so that once training is complete and you get a job you no longer receive benefits. Though there are people who abuse this system by making it look like they want a job, showing up for an interview and giving the worst impression possible just so they can continue to receive aid. The only proven way to get off unemployment and get some job training is to implement a welfare to work program where poor people are placed in jobs and they move up on their own while welfare like unemployment and food stamps slowly disappear as income increases. Let us face it; there is a way to make it work.
Conclusion: Welfare is a safety net. It is not meant to give out free cell phones, cars (yup this was done) or to allow people to abuse the system. What people do not know is that more than 70% of programs designed to help the poor end up helping the rich and the freeloaders exclusively. So maybe it is time we got back to basics and help the poor only when it comes to the essentials.
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