That's really one of the things that pisses me off the most.

I can honestly say that I hate getting government money, but I always have to remind myself that my mom isn't getting it because she wants to mooch off the system. She's missing two disks in her back and it's impossible for her to do anything for long periods of time because afterwards her legs swell and they become numb. Even then it's hard to get help. Sometimes there's a reason, and I'm probably just writing this as a justification to be on social security, but getting money just for the sake of getting money is really disgusting. A school near me had to take one whole day out of their school weeks because there wasn't enough funding.

NObama 2012

More like " gotta want to draw and quarter people abusing the welfare system".

17, the problem isn't people on it for legitimate "I literally can NOT work" situations, it's the people who are on welfare that live the lives of kings and queens that piss us working folk off.

27- Yeah, you're right. I just feel low when I think about getting government money when I read these kinds of threads and I guess I just get the urge to defend my mom.

41- That's disgusting. I'm not going to go into detail with all the things that are wrong with what you said, because it would take me many paragraphs and much anguish. What you have said is more than just heartless, it is ignorant and hate filled. I really hope that karma pays you back when you lose your job due to cutbacks, and your family is hungry and the utilities are turned off.

41- have you ever had to live on welfare? Do you think it's fun? Do you honestly think that most people like being on it? Are you willing to tell my three cousins, all under 14, that they have to get a job and quit going to school because they don't deserve to have some sort of support? Would you be willing to say that to my grandmother who can barely walk and paid taxes all her life, but can't work anymore, that she doesn't deserve to see a return on that? I agree there are abusers of the system out there-- there always are with every system. But without welfare we'd go back to what we had in the last economic recession/depression: breadlines. Do you really want all those people who need welfare waiting in line for three meals a day? Or them going hungry, which people already are? It's easy to say do away with welfare while you don't need it. Sorry for the rant.

48-Most people I know on benefits are always bragging about new stuff they buy. They drink and smoke and always eat take out. Their kids get the best of everything and get holidays. I have two children and my husband works full time as do I, we can't afford half the stuff they can! Tell me what part of this system is fair when two jobless parents with bugger all wrong with them get to stay home all day looking after the kids sat watching a 50" tv, attending school plays, parents evenings, school assembly's? I don't think 41 was being heartless he's just saying people will find work when thy can't afford anything to eat. Why should we pay taxes and NI for people to sit on their asses watching Jeremy Kyle?

The people against welfare are only looking at the worst abusers. You're basically saying that because you know some people abusing it badly, that the people who NEED welfare can go **** themselves. I know someone who relies on welfare to get by, he doesn't live like royalty, but before he went on welfare, he made a court appearnce where it was put on record that with his condition, he will hardly get a job, and probably wont be able to keep it for more than a few months if he does. I guess since something happened to him he should be told "**** you, live on the streets." even though he spent like 6 years in school working on becoming a nurse.

I hate the abusers as well but there are people who do need it. My uncle, for example, is an abuser. He is extremely overweight and gets about 300 dollars in food stamps because he's lazy. My mom is a single mom with 4 children and no jobs because she's been a stay at home mom he whole life and gets about 200 dollars in food stamps. Tell me how that's fair? I think that people who try to get on welfare should have to do a drug test and every person who was in the army should get welfare for the first couple months to get back on their feet.

61- I wasn't saying **** you to "everybody" on welfare. I said most people I know on it are screwing it. Some people I know genuinely need it and do not abuse the system. It's the people who screw it screw us all and the people who really need it.

@Everyone - Ok, these people you speak of do not exist. Nobody is living the life of a king because they abuse welfare, they live the life of a king because they have a credit card and no understanding of how it actually works. Yes, you all live within your means and are responsible with money. Just because you do that doesn't mean that everyone does that. In reality, most people don't do that, and therefore have absurd amounts of debt that they're completely oblivious to. The lady going on the Caribbean Cruise probably takes her welfare check and uses it to pay rent and bills, then spends all the rest and whatever CC balance she has on things she can't actually afford. In time, she's going to file for bankruptcy and get kicked out of her apartment.

Looking at it as a Utilitarian, I feel that the benefits of welfare do not outway the costs, therefore, instead of cutting park rangers, school funding, and government positions. I also believe that senators, legislators, and all congress positions, should be dropped to $12 an hour, then that money saved go to the teachers

41 - People work and still need welfare... I work full time and go to school full time, but I need welfare to help feed my child because her dead beat dad doesn't pay child support... Yes, people abuse the system, but how dare you say everyone would manage without it... Without it, my daughter and I could not manage even though I work 40 hours a week.

70-and I believe we should all be kings and queens, and farts should smell like vanilla, guess what's not going to happen. I agree with every point 41 makes except for completely cutting out welfare. If we paid a small fraction of the welfare pool to monitor and police recipients, it would probably save hundreds of millions in money abusers would get. Survival of the fittest is what spawns evolution and improvements in society. Also, like 41 said, if you're out of work nobody should be above flipping burgers, changing oil, or anything else. Everyone thinks they deserve as many chances as they need, but look at this country. Well help everyone else until we crumble and collapse, and then we all lose.

It happens in Canada too! People really don't know better its krazy

Before I was ran over by an SUV I had over 6,000 in my bank account and I worked 40 hours a week. My savings held me through 6 months. with my conditions and injuries due to the incident I'm one of those few that NEED welfare. I am unable to work and lost all I had saved. I don't live the king life. In fact I'm border line OMG panic attack how are these bills getting paid this month kind of life. So don't go around judging the majority by the few. it's completely unfair and ridiculous.

who says she paid? maybe she just lost her job. don't judge

Yep, one of the the reasons our country is in the state it is in... there really should be more control over welfare programs so that our tax money can be used efficiently and help those who really need it.

My mother is a hardworking person. She leaves everyday to go to work at 6:30 and comes home around 6:30 again. My family receives food stamps and benefits. I'm 15 and my siblings are 16 and 12. My father passed away when we were younger. My mom works hard for everything. When I say everything, I mean she has to pay the utilities, mortgage and things such as clothing and household objects (washing machines, toilet paper, napkins, spoons anything you could pretty much everything). We struggle a lot! We're definitely not rich because I don't celebrate my birthday and during Christmas I get NO presents. And to sum it up, my family has no car. I'm proud of my mom for being a hard worker. Please don't wish for the welfare to go away. It hurts me to see my mother working so hard already. I try my best to help my mother. If the welfare system disappeared, I'm really sure we'd be homeless.

Totally agree with you 51

Did you have a kid at 16?

And doesn't it piss you off to know that if other people weren't abusing the system people like you that truly need and deserve the help could live life a little easier. You could get more money each month if so many didn't abuse the system. Anyone TRULY living off of welfare doesn't do so easily. It is a lot of budgeting and just plain going without. These are the people that deserve more. Enough for gas to go see a better doctor. Enough to afford the foods listed on their restricted diets. Enough to send their kids to school in warm winter coats, and a good pair of shoes. The welfare system only came to be because of human compassion, a way to see no one had to live without basic human needs, because of a sense of what is right and wrong. And it needs to remain in place because too many selfish people wouldn't willingly give even a penny to help another human being in need.

Too much reading for 3am ^^^

41 is right. Just yesterday I met a women who was blind and recieving government aid. She didn't ask to be blind but hey, **** her right? We can see so it's not our problem.

41- How are you supposed to "learn how to adapt" if you have a permanent physical disability that can't be changed? For instance, someone paralyzed from the neck down due to a car accident or combat injury? You don't just "adapt" new motor functionality at will. Though it seems to me that a large amount of people on welfare are very capable of working jobs that may not be six figures a year, but bring in a sustainable income. I fail to see how having a significant portion of my paycheck taken out for some self-entitled stranger to spend it on a Caribbean cruise is remotely affiliated with any type of social justice.

My mum's food stamps got cut by more than half because I turned 18,have a job and get financial aid for school. How the hell is $300 supposed to feed three kids? (According to the system,I'm no longer included because I'm 18.) My mum barely makes more than I do. But **** her.right?

America's unfunded liabilities exceed the world's GDP. The Welfare system is unsustainable and filled with abuse. For every one person on Welfare that actually can't work, there are five people who choose not to in order to get their weekly check.

Yeah, but some people can't even get jobs like flipping burgers. There are no jobs where I live, and even though I'm going into 3rd year university, not even McDonalds will hire me, because there are NO JOBS. How is it anyone's fault if the jobs simply don't exist?

Unfortunately, the economy makes almost everything a luxury. OP, you arent the only one who cant afford a nice vacation.

The American Dream...

She could have been in for moral support. I once went in with a friend while she filed for food stamps.

A good friend wouldn't gush about lavish vacations with a struggling friend at a welfare office.

People who have basic decency don't gush about their lavish vacations no matter where they are.

The OP specified that the woman gushing was a claimant, so I'd assume she was there as a claimant.

Here we call it lotto 10/42. If a construction a worker does ten 70 hour weeks at $20 an hour he or she qualifies for 42 weeks of employment insurance at the max rate of $1620 a month ($405 a week) for 42 weeks if they get a lack of work layoff form from their boss.

6 - It's called "milking the system". She probably gets paid under the table (*cough*drugs*cough*) and adds that to her welfare money. I work in a school district where 100% of the kids are on free/reduced lunch and breakfast due to poverty, yet three of my students have parents with Escalades (brand new), one of my mother's third graders has an iPad (brand new), two of my kids showed up last week with iPhone 5s, etc. These people have mastered playing the game.

Cheating one's way through life... Wow, what have people come to!? I would feel so guilty.

You never know. Maybe her parents paid for the trip. I doubt it, just saying

There's people who have been on welfare for years: housing, medical, food stamps, daycare, the whole nine yards! Some do work, two jobs even, but somehow still qualify for benefits.

But how the law was 2 years max.

Probably depends on what state you live in. Also you might be thinking unemployment, which is not necessarily the same thing as welfare

If I remember my history right Reagan started welfare and he declared the 2 year limit.

There's no limits in some states. Though there really should be. New York, where I live, is often called ” The welfare state” because we hand it out to pretty much anyone, and they don't have to get off of it within a certain amount of time.

You're barely getting started.

Ill second that

They get approved through half-truths and outright fabrications.