Welfare is a government program that provides money, medical care, .
food, housing, and other things that people need in order to survive. People .
who can receive help from these welfare programs are children, elders, .
disabled, and others who cannot support their families on their current .
income. Another name for welfare is public assistance. .
There are many organizations that supply this public assistance. Such .
as Salvation Army and other groups. Public assistance benefits help many .
people who live below the poverty line, an income level is established for .
families. If your income is below this you would be eligible to receive this .
help. .
Welfare in the United States .
Federal and state governments in the Unites States serve the poor .
people through about 60 public assistance programs. Most people receive .
help through one of the four major programs. These programs are Medicaid, .
Aid to families with dependant Children, Social Security, or Supplemental .
Security, or the food stamps program. I will discuss the four programs .
individually. .
Medicaid provides free medical care to the poor people. Funds vary .
from state to state. In some situations, people who may be able to pay daily .
needs, but can't afford large medical bills may also be able to receive .
Medicaid. Some services paid for are bills such as doctor's visits and nursing .
home care. Most Medicaid funding comes from the federal government. .
The rest is supplied by the state. Each state runs their own Medicaid .
program. .
A.F.D.C. provides cash benefits to dependent children and the parents .
or the guardians taking care of them. Most families that qualify for A.F.D.C. .
have just one parent in the home. About 80 percent of these families are .
headed by a woman. A.F.D.C. also pays benefits to two-parent families if .
both parents are unemployed. Most A.F.D.C. funding comes from the .
federal government. The states provide the rest of the money and administer .
the program. The sizes of families' payment vary from state to state.
