Families were more dependent on government programs than ever last year.
Nearly half, 48.5%, of the population lived in a household that received some type of government benefit in the first quarter of 2010, according to Census data. Those numbers have risen since the middle of the recession when 44.4% lived households receiving benefits in the third quarter of 2008.
The share of people relying on government benefits has reached a historic high, in large part from the deep recession and meager recovery, but also because of the expansion of government programs over the years.
Means-tested programs, designed to help the needy, accounted for the largest share of recipients last year. Some 34.2% of Americans lived in a household that received benefits such as food stamps, subsidized housing, cash welfare or Medicaid (the federal-state health care program for the poor).
Another 14.5% lived in homes where someone was on Medicare (the health care program for the elderly). Nearly 16% lived in households receiving Social Security.
High unemployment and increased reliance on government programs has also shrunk the nation’s share of taxpayers. Some 46.4% of households will pay no federal income tax this year, according to the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center. That’s up from 39.9% in 2007, the year the recession began.
Most of those households will still be hit by payroll taxes. Just 18.1% of households pay neither payroll nor federal income taxes and they are predominantly the nation’s elderly and poorest families.
The tandem rise in government-benefits recipients and fall in taxpayers has been cause for alarm among some policymakers and presidential hopefuls.
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3 Responses
If you count things like the Child tax credit, or the government matching of ones charitable contributions by an amount equal to the contribiution times your tax rate, almost all of us qualify (no need to limit it only to things like social security, medicaid, etc.).
This is what the left dreams about – keeping as many people indebted to them for their basic needs so that they give up on work altogether and keep voting in the candidates who give them something for nothing. That’s how it works in much of Europe and how it worked in EY until Begin broke the socialist monopoly on power and patronage.
Amar hanassi Barack Obama velfare iz far alemen
Amar hanassi Barack Obama velfare iz tzi git
Fudshtemps, fudshtemps, far alle Yidden
Fudshtemps in velfare, iz shtark tzi frieden
Fudshtemps in yeder Yiddishen geshtelt
Fin Fetter Shmeel mir nemen noch noch gelt.
(With apologies to Moshe Goldman AH)
Nebech and B”H it is available. There are many Jewish organizations out there to help too but times are tough for them too. I am sure everyone has a horrific story to tell. Keep your faith. Hashem does help. If you can not help, please do not downplay or minimize someone else’s tzorres. Even though there are always bad apples taking advantage of a situation, it really is bad out there for many. Be compassionate.