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Jo Ellen Vespo
WELFARE PROGRAMS
The history of welfare programs in the United States
is a controversial one. Although many other nations
in the world have welfare systems, some of which pro-
vide certain kinds of assistance for all citizens, the
United States has always been divided in terms of
what welfare means and who should receive welfare
benefits. The welfare system in America underwent
significant changes in the late 1990s in order to re-
duce the number of people receiving certain types of
welfare benefits. This occurred as a result of political
and economic changes that caused American society
to reexamine the meaning of its welfare programs
against a rising tide of concern about and disdain for
public assistance. In order to understand the welfare
system of the early twenty-first century, however, it is
important to first understand and reflect upon the in-
ception and history of welfare in the United States.
Early History of Welfare in the United
States
Prior to the Great Depression of the late 1920s
and 1930s, there was no systematic federal service for
providing help or relief to struggling citizens. State
programs were fragmented, and charity was sporadi-
cally offered by various church organizations and
community efforts. As the impact of the Great De-
pression spread across the United States, it was clear
that some type of system was necessary in order to
curtail the devastating effects of poverty and jobless-
ness. President Franklin Roosevelt proposed a mas-
sive overhaul of the government by devising the New
Deal in the 1930s, which was essentially a package of
various social and welfare benefits aimed at relieving
the effects of the Great Depression. The reality of this
new welfare state would provide debate and contro-
versy in political, social, and economic realms from
that point forward.
Social Security
Although many Americans believe that welfare
benefits to mothers and children were among the
most costly and widely used welfare programs, in
truth the biggest expenditures were funneled toward
the Social Security program, developed in 1935. The
Social Security Act (SSA) was targeted at several
groups, including the elderly, the totally disabled,
and families with children of deceased workers. Social
Security was considered to be a universal program, in
the sense that it was to provide coverage for all work-
ing Americans, as it continues to do. With this pro-
gram, benefits were paid to individuals retiring from
work at a preset age. The amount of benefits received
was directly tied to the amount of money a person
earned during her work history. Furthermore, if an
adult or a child were deemed to have a significant dis-
ability that prevented the individual from working,
then benefits would be paid to that individual
through the Social Security Disability Income pro-
gram, in the case of an adult, or the Supplemental Se-
curity Income program, in the case of a child. Finally,
if a working parent were to die, then a specified
amount of benefits would be paid to the surviving
family. The Social Security program continues to pro-
vide benefits in this fashion, although it has been a
source of some controversy, particularly because all
individuals are entitled to these benefits, regardless
of how much money they have or earn.Employment Programs
The New Deal initiative with the second highest
amount of funding was related to employment bene-
fits, namely unemployment insurance and workers’
compensation. Through the unemployment insur-
ance program, workers who lose their jobs (not be-
cause of misbehavior or quitting) are allowed to
collect a set amount of compensation, which is typical-
ly limited in duration to twenty-six weeks or less. Like
Social Security, benefits are available to workers at all
levels, with benefits being higher for upper-income
jobs. Once individuals collect unemployment insur-
ance, they must work for an additional period before
being eligible to receive benefits again.
Workers’ compensation is a welfare benefit that
provides medical and cash assistance to individuals
who are injured on the job. It is limited to job injuries
only and provides aid to those who are not perma-
nently disabled. Both unemployment insurance and
workers’ compensation continue to be provided in
much the same fashion in the early twenty-first centu-
ry, and both programs are considered universal, be-
cause they provide coverage to all working
Americans.Aid to Families with Dependent Children
Perhaps the most controversial welfare programs
were and continue to be those related to mothers,
children, and the poor. This third tier of welfare pro-432 WELFARE PROGRAMS