States Offer Cash Help To The Working Poor

  I guess that it is up to the states to help their working poor now, all by themselves, since the federal government does not have the money to help. Kind of hard to do if you are spending most of your money on a war here and there. In all seriousness, the programs are expected to be funded by federal welfare funds.

  The state of Arkansas is giving its working poor cash payments of $204 per month and a few other states are following similar plans. That does not seem like much money, but when you are making minimum wage and you happen to be a single mother, $204 can come in very handy. Male or female, the cash will help somewhat.

   Arkansas provides poor working parents with $204 a month, plus bonuses for staying employed, for up to two years. Oregon offers $150 a month for up to a year. Virginia gives $50 a month for up to a year. And the California Legislature is considering a plan, proposed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, to provide $40 a month to 41,000 working families that receive food stamps.   NYTimes

  $40 a month cash in California? Are you kidding me? What will that do for the working poor in that state, put a quarter tank of gas in the Toyota?

   Here's an interesting clip for you.

The new strategy reflects, in part, a growing concern about the challenges facing the poor nearly 12 years after Congress overhauled welfare laws. While states have drastically reduced their welfare caseloads, research suggests that they have been far less successful in helping people find and keep jobs that lift families out of poverty.

The trend has also been driven by new federal rules that require states to engage 50 percent of welfare recipients in work-related activities. By offering payments to people already working, states are also trying to ensure that they meet federal mandates and avoid steep fines.

Advocates for low-income families point out, however, that benefits are so low in some states that officials seem to be more focused on meeting federal work requirements than on helping the working poor. Federal officials say the programs may siphon money from the welfare recipients they were intended to serve.

  California would be one of those states doing this just to avoid the federal fines. The NY Times notes that some states are paying out just enough to buy a pack of bologna, for instance.

  Michigan offers $10 a month for 6 months and Massachusetts dishes out a whopping $7 per month to its food stamp enrollees. The state of Utah pays out $474 a month for 2 months and $237 for a third month, if needed. Good for Utah!

  Extra cash always comes in handy, especially in these times, but at least make it enough so that the people getting it can do something with it. Either that, or create better paying jobs for this country

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