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How many here have ever been on any type of welfare?

Have you ever been on any type of welfare?


  • Total voters
    37
We got foodstamps for about 7 weeks when i first got off active duty until I found a job.

I don't consider student loans to be welfare, since you have to pay that money back....with intereest.

We did receive WIC for a couple of our foster kids when they were younger.
 
I think the connections get a bit tenuous when you use a broad definition like that. It could be argued that everyone is taking advantage of "welfare" at all times by living in a society with a functioning economy, paved roads, and laws against murder. If you define something that broadly, it loses all meaning.

I think that one possible way to describe "welfare" in the sense that the OP is getting at would be "benefits bestowed directly upon an individual for reasons other than engaging in an economically preferred activity."

Student loans and the home buyer tax credit would be excluded from this definition, while food stamps and disability payments would be included.

Thank you. (10 charactors)
 
My severely autistic and epileptic 37 year old son that we care for receives SSI and food stamps. It does not come close to being enough to support him
 
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Did your family recieve foodstamps? Housing asssistance? What?

I'm afraid I'm just not getting the point of this thread. Why do you want to know if DPers have received Welfare? And why do you wish to restrict the definition of Welfare to purely poor relief measures? Do you have some purpose or agenda in asking? Or are you just curious, for no particular reason? If so, why?
 
Sorry, I forgot for a moment how quite literal people are here. I am talking about things like foodstamps, housing assistance, things like that.

During the thirties, we all got clothes, shoes, medical help, food, no cash. It was called being on the dole...

ricksfolly
 
My severely autistic and epileptic 37 year old son that we care for receives SSI and food stamps. It does not come close to being enough to support him

so you are for social programs?
 
Not positive (as I really wasn't paying much attention to such things during my younger years), but I believe the only area that might qualify are my federally backed student loans/grants and whatnot.

I might have been able to collected unemployment at one point or another, but I didn't – mainly cause it didn’t occur to me.

But partially because I don't like the idea in some ways.

Unemployment is a form of insurance. You pay in to it, as do your employers. Would you not collect on your auto, homeowners or life insurance because "you didn't like the idea in some ways..."?
 
so you are for social programs?

Here we go again you should get government handouts if you disagree with them. I thought these programs were for all that qualify. Should I also not pay taxes if I disagree? Besides the money is not to me and does not have my name. Do you have an adult dependent you care for so you know what kind expense there is?

In the whole scheme of this I save the tax payers money by not turning him over to the state which I could do and then the state would pay to institutionalize him.
 
Went from my parents house to the Navy, from the Navy to a good paying job, and from there to a good paying retirement....never needed any assistance. Several of my siblings and their offspring, did, tho, over many years...
 
Here we go again you should get government handouts if you disagree with them. I thought these programs were for all that qualify. Should I also not pay taxes if I disagree? Besides the money is not to me and does not have my name. Do you have an adult dependent you care for so you know what kind expense there is?

In the whole scheme of this I save the tax payers money by not turning him over to the state which I could do and then the state would pay to institutionalize him.

i asked a simple question. the very program you take advantage of is a "liberal" program that uses my tax dollars. the people you would like to see in power would like to see these types of programs discontinued. i don't get it.
 
I've been on SSI disability, but never on welfare.
 
I might be on Veterans disability soon, for the Parkinson's Disease....won't believe it, tho, til I see the first check arrive..
 
Unemployment is a form of insurance. You pay in to it, as do your employers. Would you not collect on your auto, homeowners or life insurance because "you didn't like the idea in some ways..."?
Perhaps, if I felt strongly enough about it - but if that were the case, I wouldn't have paid into it in the first place.

Besides, my negative opinion of unemployment has changed since that time, I would be highly likely to collect it if the opportunity presented itself.
 
For those asking why I am asking such a question and if I have an agenda...well of course I do. Does anyone ever do anything without an agenda?

Next question: Do any of you that were on welfare (the ones that are on the type I am talking about) do you feel that you needed it at the time?
 
For those asking why I am asking such a question and if I have an agenda...well of course I do. Does anyone ever do anything without an agenda?

Next question: Do any of you that were on welfare (the ones that are on the type I am talking about) do you feel that you needed it at the time?

I had just gotten out of the Air Force, I had no job, I needed 30 hours to finish my degree, I had a wife and two kids. yeah I think i needed foodstamps to feed them for the 7 weeks it took me to find a job.
 
i asked a simple question. the very program you take advantage of is a "liberal" program that uses my tax dollars. the people you would like to see in power would like to see these types of programs discontinued. i don't get it.

Why not. Do you look a gift horse in the mouth? I am at this point saving the tax payers money. By the way we went out tonight and me and my son had prime rib. Think he can do that on the less than $10,000 a year he gets from the government including food stamps.

Can you live on less than $10,000. How far below the poverty line is that that the government expects him to live on?

My wife and I sacrafice many things to keep our handicapped son happy and show him love. For you to make this political shows how low you are.

By the way he does not get dental through Medicaid because he is an adult. When he needed teeth pulled it cost me over $2,000
 
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Why not. Do you look a gift horse in the mouth? I am at this point saving the tax payers money. By the way we went out tonight and me and my son had prime rib. Think he can do that on the less than $10,000 a year he gets from the government including food stamps.

Can you live on less than $10,000. How far below the poverty line is that that the government expects him to live on?

My wife and I sacrafice many things to keep our handicapped son happy and show him love. For you to make this political shows how low you are.

By the way he does not get dental through Medicaid because he is an adult. When he needed teeth pulled it cost me over $2,000

not to be insensitive, but since your son is "disabled" and you provide most of his support, isn't there some way that he could be covered under your insurance? A friend of mine has a daughter who suffered brain damage in a car wreck. she draws a disability check from the govt but he is still able to claim her as a dependent on his taxes and she is covered under his blue cross/blue shield medical/dental.
 
Aren't we all?

We eat right? Therefore we're all welfare (well, 99.5% of us)

And anyone who bought a house with a loan is on welfare as well.

wrong-a mortgage is a contract, not welfare
 
I've been on SSI disability, but never on welfare.

that's a form of welfare-SSI doesn't come from the SS payments but rather from general funds
 
not to be insensitive, but since your son is "disabled" and you provide most of his support, isn't there some way that he could be covered under your insurance? A friend of mine has a daughter who suffered brain damage in a car wreck. she draws a disability check from the govt but he is still able to claim her as a dependent on his taxes and she is covered under his blue cross/blue shield medical/dental.

not that I know of. I do claim him on income tax because I provide more than half of his income and support.
 
I have never received welfare, and I don't consider my government loans for school to be en par to welfare. I have to pay them back and with interest, otherwise the government can take everything I own. It's not "free money" and it's no different than taking a loan from the bank.
 
I have never received welfare, and I don't consider my government loans for school to be en par to welfare. I have to pay them back and with interest, otherwise the government can take everything I own. It's not "free money" and it's no different than taking a loan from the bank.

I agree, that's a contract
 
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