Why do people on government assistance appear to have no need for assistance?

Because they know how to use the system.. Not all people do. I also work in the grocery business..One store that i worked in had alot of migrant workers.. they would come in with unemplyment checks, paychecks, WIC checks and food stamps.... makes ya wonder about how well are system works in this country. I also work my butt off to make a living.

I was going to ignore you but just couldn't! You know, there are always people who are going to abuse anything but just because some do does not mean that we all do. My husband and I have four kids. We were both working until recently. We have paid our share of taxes and made donations to people who needed it. Now, I get food stamps and I have received WIC. I have no idea how you think you can abuse WIC because you are only allowed certain items for the baby and/or yourself. This program is to help less fortunate people make sure that they get the proper nutrition while pregnant for a healthy baby and for the mother and baby afterwards for the same reasons. I guess you would rather have more babies needing expensive medical treatments because the mother was suffering from malnutrition while pregnant. I suppose you have never made any kind of error in your life that made you make some difficult decisions like some mothers are faced with. At least they aren't murdering their unborn children. At least they are trying by attending classes and eating better! As for the foodstamps...I buy lots of meat. Maybe I do have more in my freezer right now than you do. Maybe I shop better!! I shop around and go to sells and really stock up on discounted meat. I talk to butchers and try to find the best deals in my town. I spend the majority of my stamps on meat because you can buy canned vegetables really cheap at a number of places and if you have meat, you can make a nutritious meal that stretches out a few days! Which also helps by keeping my children healthy and out of the hospital!! Would you rather pay for that? And my kids and I dress fairly well because we shop around and get good items for less. I go to Goodwill where there are sometimes really pretty clothes for the kids or myself and husband. We go to yard sales. We make our money stretch!! Maybe you should talk to a few of these people who are beneath you and learn how to do that yourself! I keep my kids neat and clean! I buy everything on sale! Why should my kids be made fun of and eat poorly? Why should they be denied snacks once in a while? They need them for school too and my husband needs some things for work! Should we smell bad and wear rags, maybe stand on the corner and beg for crusts of bread? Maybe we should be tattooed with a particular mark! You need to get off your high horse and thank God that nothing has happened to shatter your perfect little world! For Gods sake, grow up!! Things happen...layoffs, illnesses, accidents,children's deaths, parent's deaths, children's illnesses, and so many more things that are unforseen!! I had to quit my job so I could care for our kids. I do not want them on the street using drugs and having no where to go because Mom or Dad aren't home. Maybe if you managed your money a bit better you could too!! Have you checked out the income guidelines for food stamps by any chance? Of course not!! Perhaps you yourself are eligible! I have seen so many hard working families who never ask for help from anyone in their life, meet some kind of tragedy that changed their way of living drastically!! But they don't whine...they do what they can. That is why the government programs are in place!! Maybe one day the shoe will be one the other foot and I will be looking down my nose at YOU spending food stamps!! No, that would never happen because I have a good heart and think before I open my mouth as a rule!! You must have a lot of spare time on your hands while you are working your butt off. Why not go volunteer with some kids or elderly somewhere? Maybe at a battered womens shelter. Do not talk about people unless you are really, really sure that you KNOW what you are talking about!!

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You do know that not everyone pays for what they have. I was on WIC for my two daughters and am considering to try and start up again. My kids dress nice because my husband's mother likes to buy them cute Disney clothes. My husband is in the military and we barely can afford to keep our kitchen stocked. A lot of the time I only make food for our daughters and my husband because I feel so bad about eating food that could go to them. Honestly, you shouldn't make generalized statements like that when you don't know what really goes on.

amen--you work long hours wheil others do nothing all day but live easy,there is nothing you can do,I feel sorry for the folks that may really need assistance.

Way too much government assistance is given out to able bodied people who should be fending for themselves like the rest of us. The only people who deserve assistance are those who are disabled either physically or mentally. Think how much lower our taxes (and crime) would be if people took personal responsibility! My family grew up with NOTHING - we were poor immigrants - and we never whined about it. And if you don't have money, quit doing the one thing you know will get you pregnant!

Wow seem that your topic has opened a bash fest for you?? poor thing, as for your? I can see where your coming from and as somone who DOES get food stamps and wic ( wich i dont see how ya can abuse that ) but i see this all the time when i have to apply for assistance of ANY kind, recently i was coming into my appt to recertify our family for food stamps and thi lady drove up in a 06 car dressed all nice and the like and she was comng in for an emergency appt cause she had no $$ for food!! she walked out about 20 min later ( yea i had to waitabout an hour there in the waiting room) with a new food stamp card and medicaide paprs for her kids, i was soooo P****D and of course after i get in there they tell me in 5 min that i qualify BUT ill have to bring about every form of ID check stub etc geesh im suprised they didnt ask for a DNA sample, I hear so much about ppl abusing the system, geesh will somone please tell me how you do this??

~M~

I know what you mean. I went with my friend to get food stamps after she had her baby. A girl pulled up in an Escalade with her hair and nails done (and it wasn't cheap looking weave either), several gold necklaces, rings, earrings, and bracelets, Baby Phat clothing, talking on her Razr cell phone. She somehow was getting more benefits than my friend who was wearing Target clothing, no jewelry and who doesn't have a cell phone. I think the system is abused alot. In my city a lot of these girls are dating drug dealers who buy them all the flashy things. These girls keep popping out babies and getting even more aid from the government. It's not right. I think that if you are going to be on government aid they should make you take birth control. If you can't afford to feed the kids that you have, why should you have more? Maybe that seems like a horrible thing to say, but these girls have four kids running around all ready, getting into trouble because their mom isn't watching them and dad isn't around. It isn't fair to the people that really need government aid.

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Alot of people do know how to use the system which is sad and it does'nt say much for our government.For one thing if you know your not in a position to take care of a child them stop having them and if you do need help from WIC them don't take advantage of it.They really do need stricter laws for when people apply for assistance.

Not everyone getting governmeant assistance abuses the system. My family gets food stamps. I work for a living. I support my family, I pay into the system. I never wanted to get food stamps. I denied that we needed them for a few years before people finally broke me down and made me go and get help. I work my butt off too. I always have. I don't have my hair done, I don't have my nails done, I don't have nice new clothes. I simply can't afford all of that. I drive a nice car only because my dad gave his old one to me when he bought himself a new one. It's not a new car or anything, but he maintained it very well and I'm happy and very lucky to have it. My husband is disabled and is unable to work, so the sole support of the family falls on me. I am not abusing the system. I see a lot of people who are and I agree that something should be done about it. However, not everyone on government assistance is abusing the system. I pay into it too. I feel that I should be able to buy what I want with my food stamps because I do pay into the system and have been paying into it. I'm not just some lazy bum who is sponging off of everyone else. It's just right now, I need help. As soon as I don't need the help, I'll be off of the food stamps. I hate being on them quite frankly. It makes me feel like a failure because I can't do everything for my family. We shopped the same way when we didn't have food stamps as we do now. That hasn't changed. Actually, I buy a lot less junk food with the food stamps than I did without them.

People on public assistance are not even receiving enough for a normal person to live on; trust me on this, I had to receive disability for a year due to a spine operation and had to move in with my family. I couldn't even afford to pay my bills, let alone get my hair and nails done and drive nice cars, lol. I don't know what people you are seeing whom you think are getting rich on welfare. Be grateful that you're able to work and keep your self esteem; it's no fun when you can't. I know a lot of people make assumptions. Not everyone who's getting public assistance is some kind of lazy bum. Count your blessings; your life can change overnight.