9 years ago
6
Kansas To Impose Unprecedented Restriction On Welfare Recipients
Kansas also enacted reforms that impose strict lifetime limits on benefits and ban recipients from withdrawals at movie theaters and nail salons.
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limit withdrawals from ATMs to $25/day: I see the logic here, but like the article mentioned, what about rent? Maybe limit withdrawals to $175/week ($25*7).
ban from using welfare at movie theaters, nail salons, pools and spas, liquor stores, jewelry stores, casinos or racing facilities, tattoo and piercing parlors, cruise ships, and other locations: I'd like to see what these 'other locations' are, but if they fall in line with the rest of the list, I'm 100% behind this. These are all luxury activities that are not necessary for getting back on your feet. Besides, if you can withdraw $25/day in cash, you can save up some money and pay for these things.
36-48 months of lifetime benefits: The federal lifetime limit is 60 months, which is about 10% of the average person's working lifetime. I think 60 months is fair, but I'm also not opposed to limiting it to 36 months for temporary assistance plus an additional 24 months in cases of extraordinary hardship.
2 felonies = no TANF: I think this clause is perfect. A lot of people learn their lesson after one felony and turn their lives around. If someone gets two felonies they haven't learned their lesson. I think the bill should clarify that two felonies should be from two instances. If someone gets multiple felonies from one event I think that should only count as one felony in this bill.
positive drug test AFTER enrolling in drug program = no TANF: I'm fine with this as long as weed isn't included (it probably is). If weed was like most other drugs and left your system in a day or so I would even be OK with including it in the program.
must enroll in job-training programs or part time work within 3 months in order to continue receiving benefits: I like this idea, especially if the state is offering to pay for the job training.
There's a few things that I think need attention, but other than the daily withdrawal rate, I don't see this as being unprecedented.
Yes, in the UK, unless disabled, you have to be actively seeking work or undergoing training to get benefits. I do think $25/day is too little though.
The way I understand it as written in the article and a quick glance through the bill itself is that $25/day is the limit on ATM withdrawals. You can still go to costco and spend your entire monthly allotment all at once if you want, but if you want to just go to the ATM and get cash, you are limited to $25/day. This is a debit card. I have a $300/day cash limit with my debit card, but I can go to the store and spend $3,000 on a fancy TV with the same card.
I think what some people fail to realize is that the situation is meant to be a transitional thing and not something people should get comfortable with. In the end the situation will get a lot worse as jobs are lost to technological innovation, but I think at this point in time the government should still focus on people that want to work but cant for whatever reason. My only concern when creating such strict regulation is that once we start on this path, where does it end? Should people start spying on each other, should there be weekly reports made, how does one even gain the self respect after going through such a nightmarish and demeaning scenario?
while I don't think it should be nightmarish and demeaning, I don't think TANF/Welfare/Food Stamps/etc should be a pleasant process. It should be a wake up call. A few years back I lost my job and it took me almost two months to find a new job. In those two months, I was working 10 hours a day looking for work, whether it be by filling out job applications online or in person, or talking to people who are well connected, I was working HARD to find my job. Luckily I had planned ahead and had a bit of cash, food, and even gasoline saved up and my wife and I didn't have to apply for any assistance. I would have felt like a failure if I had to ask the government for help, and I feel like that's the way it should be. We had to pinch pennies for a while while we waited for my first paycheck at my next job, but we never missed a rent payment or any other bills due to me losing my job.
TL;DR - Assistance programs are necessary but it should not be a comfortable process.
First off, I think you handled your brush with joblessness like a champ! I will bet that not everyone can be as strong minded, driven and forward thinking as yourself though. I think these programs need a certain level of structure so that they cannot be abused, but I also strongly believe that for the people that end up in the horrible situation of having to actually use them should still have some shred of dignity remaining while they go through the process of getting back on their feet, shaming these people will work against them in the end.