Introduction
Welfare programs are governmental transfer of resources from one group to another for the benefit of those who are in need. The resources should be either in form of cash or services (health care, education etc). In United States the beneficiaries include the poor, the old, the disabled, survivors, farmers, corporations and any other individual who may be eligible. The US government makes sure that beneficiaries will enjoy for the present and future lives. However, the US beneficiaries fall under the following categories
Repatriation
This is where the U.S government provides support to those people who travel America and they are really in need of financial assistance. The support mostly includes paying for their plane ticket and immigration fees. (Weaver, 2000)
Medical Program
U.S government makes sure that the beneficiaries are given proper medical care. This includes providing medicines, vaccination, hospitalization and any other services.
Documentation Services
The U.S government helps educate the families of lower social-economic status and who are not aware of their rights. They are educated on their rights as human beings.
Emergency loan
The U.S government grants loans to the beneficiaries who prove to have financial crisis. However, the amount depends on the severity of situation. This helps them to ease their burden in times of need.
Tracing services
This is where the beneficiaries are assisted to locate their parents who have abandoned them or any other member of their family.
Temporary food Ration
The beneficiaries include families or individuals who are weak physically and cannot work and they have no one to provide for their needs. In most cases, the beneficiaries are families with younger children. (Weaver, 2000)
Assistance to the Prisoners
The beneficiaries (inmates) are provided with material and legal assistance where necessary. The aim of the government is to recognize the worth and dignity of the prisoners.
Food and Pension Vouchers
The beneficiaries ought to be appeal for food, medicines and temporary accommodation. The needy Americans are therefore required to collect the pension vouchers and food coupons at the U.S embassy.
Christmas Baskets
The American government reaches out to indigent citizens and their dependants. It prepares Christmas baskets for the beneficiaries which may be in form of cash or any other donations. Also in coordination with the U.S embassy the American patients in hospitals as well as prisoners all over the world also benefit from the welfare program. (Weaver, 2000)
A number of families have benefited from the welfare programs. However, there have been huge disparities between the welfare programs and the beneficiaries. For example, most of the beneficiaries believe that they receive benefits which they have paid for. Also participation rates in most welfare programs are very low and this makes the beneficiaries to have negative attitude towards them. The low income earners refrain from using welfare programs by believing that they will not be assisted at the end of it all.
Finally, cases have arisen for would-be recipients or beneficiaries being incompetent. On these issues U.S government should control welfare programs by making sure they serve some public purpose and not just enrich beneficiaries. The government should also make sure that the beneficiaries come from families with very low income so that only their urgent physical needs are met and help them realize their dreams.
In conclusion, we can say that a large number have benefited from the U.S welfare programs. They have received basic requirements for them to have a rightful a place in the society and succeed in life. However, the beneficiaries’ eligibility to be assisted should be established for one to be considered as potential client for this program.
References
Robert J. Samuelson (2005) Welfare Junkies, The Washington Post; Page A19.
Weaver, R. Kent (2000), Ending Welfare as We Know It. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press. Canadian Journal of Sociology Online
Welfare programs. Web.