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Introduction
Social welfare provisions are programs that seek to provide minimum level of service, income or other support services for the groups that are marginalized such as the elderly, poor and disabled people. They are undertaken by both non-governmental organizations as well the government agencies. Social welfare programs which include welfare payments and services are undertaken at the expense of taxpayers and they are funded by benefactors or enrolment of the poor compulsorily. Examples of welfare programs include in-kind transfers such as health care services or even cash inform of earned income tax credit. (Gregory, 2003)
More examples of social welfare programs or services include the following: compulsory insurance programs that are based on income aimed at paying the social welfare service provided. In many cases this type of welfare service is incorporated in the taxation system and it is hard to separate it from the income tax. Another example of welfare program is the compulsory savings program that every person earning income must be part of.
Main body
Financial aid and pensions which encompass tax relief and social security are also other examples of social welfare programs that are directed to those who have low incomes or are not in a position to meet basic living costs especially those who have the responsibility of raising the elderly people, children, injured, disabled or sick as well as the unemployed members of the society. In addition low or free nursing, free or low medical care for those who are sick, or those who are unable to care for themselves are also examples of welfare programs undertaken by the non governmental as well as government agencies.
Furthermore, low cost public education for the children and scholarship programs or pension are other examples of welfare programs. Funds from the state towards community based organizations responsible for providing services to the less privileged or disadvantaged people in the community are also included in the social welfare programs. The intended outcome of welfare varies. For the non-disabled the main objective is to prevent complete destitution while for the disabled it does not ultimately expect dependency.
Nations and states that provide social welfare programs are commonly regarded as having a welfare state. Access to social welfare services in such countries is often considered an inalienable or basic right to those who are in need. The UN convention on Social and Economic Rights consider social welfare services or programs a part of human rights. (www.Belforduniversity.org)
The rest of the document seeks to explore the social welfare programs that increase the national debt. To be able to establish the welfare programs that increase national debt it is vital to define national debt and how it relates to welfare programs. National debt is also known as the public debt or the government debt and this refers to the amount of money that is owed by any government which can be the federal government, central government, local government or even the municipal government.
Since the government represents the people the national debt is indirectly a burden of the taxpayer. The debts accumulates over time as the government runs a deficit, which means that the government spends more than it gets in taxes. Some of the major areas the government expenditures are largely channelled to are the social welfare programs in an attempt to provide better living conditions for its people internally and externally.
For example in the United States of America the government has had welfare programs aimed at helping people who are helpless or those who require a little extra help. However the number of people requiring the social welfare services continue to escalate with time and the government has to continue providing for the less privileged or disadvantaged people. However even with this kind of expenditure the government does little to replace the amount of money that is channelled to social welfare programs and more likely the social welfare programs undertaken by the government have been a major contributory factor towards the increase in national debt. (www.infoplease.com)
As of January 2008 the national debt was nine trillion a hundred and ninety three billion eight hundred and seventeen million a hundred and seventy two thousand eight hundred and twenty two ($9,193,817, 172, 822) dollars and in order to zero out the balance each citizen in the United States would be required to pay thirty thousand two hundred and twenty two dollars. (www.billig.com)
It has been argued that in the current scenario a woman with two children and having a full time job and without child care benefits and medical benefits is estranged in the net of failing to raise her family above the poverty level. Single women being the heads of the households are the main beneficiaries of this program which also benefits the children. Real welfare programs that would go a long way into making the single mothers earn their way out of poverty and hence reduce the escalating national debt due to increased welfare programs include having a universal coverage of medical services through the government or private insurer.
It also includes an increase in the minimum wage, by having a family support Assurance program that makes sure that there is enough regular support payments and requires the fathers who are working to contribute a 25 percent minimum of their earnings to the support of their families as well as providing for paternal identification at birth. Another measure that can be adopted to ensure that the above mentioned welfare programs that increases the national debt are lessened involves doubling the present federal Earned Income Tax credit as well as providing the day care refundable Tax credit.
In addition providing employment in areas where unemployment is prevalent is also another remedy that is seen as being able to salvage the situation of increasing public debt due to the increasing social welfare programs. Another measure aimed at reducing the national debt due to social welfare programs is liberalizing unemployment benefits so that those who work at lowest pay can be reached by this benefits and more so those whose work is frequently interrupted.
This method would not only encourage the welfare mothers to earn their own way without necessarily falling back on the current system but it would also assist the millions of families who are classified in the groups of the working poor.If institution of reforms along this line is adopted welfare itself could be seen as a transitional program that is aimed at assisting families that came along the times when hard times prevailed. Therefore programs of this nature would not segregate on any two parent families.
Last but not the least, provision of accessible health care which includes pregnancy prevention and contraception information should be availed to the necessary groups of people to reduce promiscuity among the women who bear children with the thought that they will be taken care of by the government through the child welfare program. Those that have jobs either part time or full time should be made to save whatever they earn for the benefit of their children instead of relying on the social welfare programs for their children upkeep.
The beneficiary of the welfare programs should be made to know that the help is short term so that they can in turn seek their own ways of earning instead of continuously depending on the welfare services. In addition to the fair start and healthy start welfare programs the Children’s Defence Fund should seek to ensure that all eligible children receive a head start which prepares them for the future success by providing them with a good education that would lead to employment.
This is because in the current scenario only one out of four children is eligible for the Head start education thus disadvantaging a majority of children who later become a burden to the taxpayer. Although the welfare system does good by aiding many people who actually need help it should be noted that it also creates a ground where people entirely depend on the welfare system and they no longer possess the urge of bringing themselves above the level they are at. The social welfare program has drawn criticism from people from all walks of life and especially in the United States.
Among the specific accusations has been that the social welfare programs have been used by individuals to enrich themselves with a claim that they are out to help poor families. Therefore the system has been subjected to massive abuse and fraud. In addition social welfare programs have been seen as contributory factors for the increasing single parent families due to out of wedlock births. It has also resulted into disintegration of many families through divorce because mothers have got nothing to fear since the welfare programs will provide for their needs once they get divorced.
It has therefore alienated the moral values of the society. Welfare programs have also been seen as enticing women to bear more children at the government expense. The break up and decline of the African American family has also been attributed to the welfare programs since these programs are taken to be a “black” problem. The welfare programs undertaken by the government are also thought to be responsible for the financial problems and the escalating national debt that faces many countries of the world that have got such programs.
In my own opinion there are two social welfare programs that should be done away with in order to add revenue back in the economy in a big way. The first is the welfare for the rich that should be totally eliminated and secondly the government should cut welfare on bailing out corporations which has allowed such corporations to exist tax free. The war welfare which is directed to the military should also be done away with and by so doing much of the funds that are used in destruction purposes could be channelled back to the economy which would improve people’s lives and reduce the national debt. (www.nytimes.com)
Conclusion
In conclusion, elimination of the above mentioned social welfare programs would add funds into the revenue basket and this would mean that peoples lives would become more bearable thus helping even the poor work their own way out of poverty. It would be a good measure to ensure that welfare programs continue decreasing because a majority of single mothers on welfare programs today would be in a position to provide to their children with minimum difficulties. Thus social welfare programs would in future be unheard of thus necessitating the reduction in national debt.
References
Gregory, M. Principles of economics 4th Edition, New York: New York Press, 2003.
The current national debt of the United States of America. 2008. Web.
The conversion of social welfare programs into usable use. 2008. Web.
Modern welfare programs. 2008. Web.
The conservative view of social welfare programs and the effect on national debt. 2008. Web.
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