Why do people still believe in the "welfare queen?"

Only a complete ignoramus could believe that life on welfare is soft. Stereotypes are always wrong. The middle class idiom is geared to a form of life which permits smug selfrighteouness because it's "normal". So is uninformed criticism of any identifiable demographic other than your own. I, for one, don't expect to get run over by too many Afro-American Mercedes driving welfare recipients.

There are surely people who abuse the system. I have seen it first hand. I worked in an elementary school for six years and I met many parents. Yes, there was one women that came in with long acrylic nails, tons of jewelry, hair that you know was done by a professional stylist, and clothes that I could not afford. (I do not know what she was driving) Yet the daughter looked like an orphan. Yet, a few years later, I let a 19 year old widow (3 mos. pregnant) come into my house because she had nowhere else to go. I called the Social Service dept. in my county to see what help we could get for her. They wanted information on my husbands income. We did not know this girl, my mother knew her. I just wanted to help her. They told me that as long as she was in my home, there was nothing they could do for her. They suggested I call Red Cross, or contact local churches. We decided to support her until the baby was born, and then I kept the baby while she worked. She did get back on her feet and is now doing very well, but what if I had not been there for her and my husband decided he did not want to pay for her food and shelter for almost a year? I am sure there are people who truly need the help they are getting, but I think there should be limits. I think the recipients should prove that they are trying to help themselves if they are capable. If they are not able to work, then that is OK, but there are many jobs that almost anyone can do or at least learn to do. The state should provide education and daycare. It would cost the state less in the long run, and the recipients would probably feel better about themselves when they can finally stand on their own two feet.

What a great question!!! I mean, that's a REALLY GREAT QUESTION!!!! I agree with all the reasons you stated above, for people to be on welfare. As Mom says "there but for the grace of God go I." OK I don't think God has much to do with it since that sounds like He favours my mother over others, but I do agree with the fact that ANYONE can be fine one day, and have a reason to collect wellfare tomorrow. I'm not going to judge people because of it. I am on Disability because of my vision. I'm legally blind. I have just enough to cover rent and most of the bills (notice I said MOST!) How could anyone ever save enough welfare/disability to afford a fancy car and expensive clothes? Yah right!!! I hear that welfare in Ontario Canada is only half of what I collect in disability money.

The problem is, is that there *are* people who abuse the welfare system. And they tend to be the most outspoken and vocal, and the ones who show up on Court TV and so they stick in people's minds. The people who need the help and are keeping their heads down and trying to put their life back in order get overlooked, and the image that stays in people's minds are these loud, entitlement complexed people who just want a free ride. it's sad but true.

I agree. I used to work for the Mayor's office in DC. I got calls from people regarding all kinds of assistance. Granted, there were quite a few abusers out there. But for the most part, people I helped were senior citizens, young mothers in school. Many women had husbands who were on a disability. Unfortunately, the few who abuse the system make it hard for others. That's why you have to go through so much red tape to get help these days. Often, people who really need help are too tired and don't have much hope for getting it so they don't try as hard as the one who knows what they can get and how to do it.

My mom has gotten assistance off & on for a couple of years because of health problems. I KNOW that there are plenty of people who need/deserve help, but it is true that there are probably more people abusing the system. I could name 10 people off the top of my head who are getting as much help as they can possibly squeeze out of the taxpayers - even though they've been offered full-time, decent jobs. They just don't want to work. I get sick of seeing tax dollars wasted, but it is also a waste because it takes away funds from those who can't work for whatever reason.

Couldn't one of the reasons for having a stigma like this be as an incentive to get/stay off of welfare? I've known people who were to ashamed of getting their welfare checks, food stamps, etc... that they did everything in their power to get off welfare. They didn't want to be labled. If such a label did not exist, wouldn't there be more people on welfare? There would probably even be more people abusing the system.

It is sad that there are so many people abusing the system these days that it is harder for the people who actually need the help to get it. I see nothing wrong with someone who actually needs help to get it, such as the situations that you have listed, but their are people out there who get it just because they can and don't really need it, its sad, we live in a totally messed up world. When I worked at Walmart as a cashier I would see women come in dressed in designer clothes I could not dream of being able to afford, nails done and sculpted, hair done, ect.. and they would be using food stamps or wic, ect, it seems to me if you can afford all of these things then you can afford to buy your own groceries and such, those people always stuck in my head more than people who used wic or food stamps and you could tell they needed it and werent abusing the system simply because I would get so irritated at the ones who didnt need it. Its one thing to be struggling to get necesities and not being able to make ends meet, but its another to not be able to make them meet just because you are too materialistic.

i don't think "everyone" is abusing the system, but honestly every 1 i know is! so wut does that tell u the ratio! out of say 20 people probably more none of them have it because of desperate times! they take it because they can and it's free money some even have more kids for more money and longer time on welfare! my mom in law complains that her social worker keeps track of her and makes her do the welfare to work program! can u believe that! u're gonna complain because u're getting money u don't want to work for! it's unbelieveable! i could understand if these people just fell on hard times but since they started having kids is that considered a hard time! my aunt had her last child # 7 because her one b 4 was getting too old and once he reached 18 they would take her off she's 43 yrs. old! it's just not right! i understand there r honest people but i'm sure majority r not!

It is not said that all do but I am afraid it is true there are many out there that abuse the System and I will not argue over it There are 4 Families in my Street that I know of who abuse the system I agree not all do but you have to be honest there are a lot that do and they brag about it by saying things like "Well you need to know how to screw the System " and it is them that give the bad Name to others

Well, Color has nothing to do with welfare i'm sorry to say and it really pisses me off how alot of people especially different races are so quick to sterotype black people as welfare freaks. Don't get me wrong but there are many people that abuse the system, Instead of trying to pick them selves up they chose to sit around and collect a check. At the same point i'm a young black woman, with no kids, i've been through plenty of tough times and not once have i ever thought about going to welfare. Welfare is there for indiviuals who needs assitance. White people abuse the system just as much as blacks do. Assitance these days, you can't live the high life, getting a mercedes is way out of there league. Thank you for this discussion.

I have a lot of problems with this stereotyping. I worked as a caseworker from 1975 - 1985 and there were very few welfare queens. Most of the cheating was what I'd call "survival cheating" and didn't amount to much. To this day I'm getting into arguments with otherwise rational people who really believe that women are out there doing it up on their tax dollar. Only, a few weeks ago I got into it with a friend. He was trying to tell me he was tired of paying for $40,000 year welfare grants to women having babies to get welfare. Eventually, he admitted he may have "exaggerated" the amount....Truth is that he (And many middle class people like him with their own businesses) probably saves more money cheating on income tax returns than the average caseload of welfare people make by cheating. The one's who yell the most about welfare and their tax dollars are actually not paying much in tax dollars anyway.

OK, the welfare system DOES need a fix! I had gone in and asked for TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) when I lost my job and the unemployment didn't even cover my mortgage. I was turned down, because my assets (my home) were considered "too high". I was turned down for every program and told to get a job. (What did they think I was trying to do???) I struggled for a while paying those outrageous gas bills (my utility bill was in excess of $450 a month from November through March 05-06)...ineligible for programs for one reason or another. In my town, there is a housing-assistance program. My daughter's friend's mom has two children living in a 2-bedroom apartment. That's all that she could get (they don't have 3-bedroom units, except homes and those are taken). One of her neighbors drives a Land-Rover. Excuse me, but if you're so poor you can't afford to pay regular rent, then you really shouldn't be driving a Land Rover (which to be leased around here is at least 25% of a mortgage payment!) The stereotypical image you mention was the norm during the 70s, before the federal system was overhauled. Ever see the show Good Times? It glorified what was happening in the inner cities. I don't say that the system is wrong, but I see a lot of people abusing it and that makes everyone else mad.

Well when I imagine a system abuser, I definatley dont think about black woman driving a mercedes. I think about the hispanic lady with 6-10 kids, with no english speaking capabilities. While her illegal husband is working in a cannery and she is not claiming him. Not to sound racist but I live in oregon and this is often the case.

With things changing the way they are today alot of people are having to resort to food stamps and help because they are making it to where you have to have a high school diploma to get jobs now days or more college. So some people are taking jobs they can find that will hire them and sometimes it is only part time or other only when they are needed and sometimes a person is self employed where they get out and try to get odd jobs and sometimes they aren't enough to buy groceries pay all the bills and everything else. There should be no shame if a person is living on welfare. Just because people dress nice doesnt mean anything that means they take pride in how they look maybe they are hand me downs or thrift store items they bought but are in great new like state. Does a person have to be in rags to be able to get stamps without comment? I know alot of people who draw welfare and stamps and most of them wouldn't be able to live and provide for themselves and their children without the help.

I don't like being on benefits .. I wish I didn't have to live on them as they really aren't a penny over the threshhold of poverty .. but I have no choice ... What does annoy me is the folks who commit fraud and collect benfits as well as work or get money on the side .. I know it's a hard world but at least you have the choice .. can do overtime and get more money .. or can find a better job that pays more .. I am stuck now and forever more on the very least amount of money that is deemed to be threshhold of poverty .. the governments says they can't afford to pay more out in benefits .. but if only people wouldn't cheat I could have a little bit more money coming in each week .. I don't ask for much .. I haven't had a holiday in 15 years .. I don't smoke .. I don't drink other than a small glass of whisky once a week ... When these people cheat the system and collect even small amounts of money they are taking it away from me .. and hundreds of other people like me .. please don't do it .. let me have a little bit more money coming in a week and be able to enjoy life just a little .. thank you !

I was on walfare for the 9 months i was pregnant. I had to stop working and was put on bed rest and my husband and I couldn't afford for me to not be working so I sucked up my pride and went down to the welfare office and applied! It was NOT easy getting on it either! I had to prove EVERYTHING! So I had to get my landlord to say where i lived and get the doctor to write a note saying that I HAD to be on bedrest! I don't think you can abuse the system really. However I do have a friend that was on welfare for 2 yrs while she went to school and around here you can only be on it for 2 yrs and then she lost her home and was homeless so she got cash and food stamps for 2 more yrs!

In my opinion, there are very few instances of welfare queens and anyone who is abusing the system is really shortchanging themselves. C'mon now, nobody is getting rich off the system. How much money do you think someone on welfare gets? I knew of someone who received welfare benefits and they received less than $300 a month. Which brings me to another reason that the "just get out and get a job" notion is hard for people to comprehend. Let's say you have one or two children. You are made to get a job, which is cool, people work and that is what adults are supposed to do. If you have little skills, training,or education you will probably make minimum wage or just a little above it (heck, when I worked I didn't make too much and I have a degree). The place where the welfare system goes awry is that just when a welfare recipient begins working full-time or gets a few raises, they are no longer eligible for programs (oh no! they make too much money!) and then unable to afford to live. And believe me, few people WANT to be on welfare. It saddens me that people glamorize welfare when actuality you are living in poverty and struggling daily. It is a vicious cycle.

Most of the families I have seen around here, that are on welfare..are in fact, not black, but white, with tons of kids trailing them. They're always pregnant one right after the other, and run right to welfare to get more money. They drive pretty nice cars, and their families suffer. I've seen the kids running around in pretty crappy clothing, while they wear pretty nice stuff. I've seen it happen first hand. However, I know that not everyone abuses the system like that. However, I have seen it happen.

the problem is too many are abusing the system and gettign the SAME treatment as some person who has come under some unfortunate circumstances. I've seen people make more on assistance than my spouce made @ one point and we would not be allowed to go and ask for help because of the fact that he works! Thnakfully this scenario has changed now but what about the other people in that predicament? They try to keep afloat and when they get a chance, they go to assistance, only to be turned down. All this while some couple who has been collecting check after check for years, squeezes out baby number 3 and hops down to collect a bigger check. Sure that sounds cruel to say but I've seen it happen and it pisses me off. I do feel for the people who actually do things proper and need assistance but the others make it so hard to sympathize or even to tell "needy" from "greedy". I think there needs to be more "hoops" for all.