Bombshell: Half of U.S. Lives in Household Getting Benefits

Wall Street Journal Article
May 26, 2012

Half of U.S. Lives in Household Getting Benefits

This story claims that 49.1% of the American population lives in a household where at least one member received some type of government benefit in the first quarter of 2011

Not surprising perhaps ?

49.1%: Percent of the population that lives in a household where at least one member received some type of government benefit in the first quarter of 2011.

Cutting government spending is no easy task, and it’s made more complicated by recent Census Bureau data showing that nearly half of the people in the U.S. live in a household that receives at least one government benefit, and many likely received more than one.

The 49.1% of the population in a household that gets benefits is up from 30% in the early 1980s and 44.4% as recently as the third quarter of 2008.

The increase in recent years is likely due in large part to the lingering effects of the recession. As of early 2011, 15% of people lived in a household that received food stamps, 26% had someone enrolled in Medicaid and 2% had a member receiving unemployment benefits. Families doubling up to save money or pool expenses also is likely leading to more multigenerational households. But even without the effects of the recession, there would be a larger reliance on government.

Government welfare spending is off the charts in the last 3 years.
The largest amounts ever spent ...... EVER


US Government Welfare Spending Charts

That's been the case in UK for Years.

A lot of people want to work but can't find an "appropriate" job... Where as a whole lot more just don't want to work in UK coz being at home is more lucrative for them than a paid job.

I have trained many people in my company and a few have them left work the same day saying ... and I quote:

I can't do this hard work and get paid less than I am receiving from the government for staying at home.

You give lazy people a reason to live without work and they will ...

I just about pass my Weekend and I am sometimes dying to go back to work at times just so I have something to do! So how some people never work and just be lazy all their lives is way way way beyond me ...

So there are 320 million Americans who currently living in the Us and 49% of that is 156,800,000 half this country is living off someone elses blood and sweat.

And they are screaming no no there's nothing wrong let's add more free crap is there any wonder we have a 16 trillion dollar deficit thus it proves what i have been saying for long time now.

Never before in this entire nation's history there more people consuming other peoples money instead of making their own or:

Hoorah for getting paid by tax revenue instead of generating their own long term wealth.

maybe, income has not kept up with living expenses, maybe, the 9 million jobs sent overseas by corporations and businessesv have left many people with no job source, maybe giving massive tax breaks to those very corporations and the wealthy, have made this country an economic fuedal kingdom

A while ago they had a programme on here called Wife Swap. A family was working and they just about made £26,000 where as another family fed off the government and made £36,000 ...

Where's the sanity in that???

Originally posted by jimmyx
maybe, income has not kept up with living expenses, maybe, the 9 million jobs sent overseas by corporations and businessesv have left many people with no job source, maybe giving massive tax breaks to those very corporations and the wealthy, have made this country an economic fuedal kingdom

"" the 9 million jobs sent overseas by corporations and businesses""

Why, in your opinion, has Obama and Congress NOT done anything to fix that ??

They had plenty of chances.

Well, given the percentage of the population who are seniors (probably on medicare / medicaid and old age pension) and children under the age of 18 (parents likely receive child benefit) I actually don't find this report surprising.

It's the same bad reporting as the ridiculous claims that "about half of all Americans pay no income tax at all" which ignores the fact that most of that "half of Americans" are seniors and children.

Originally posted by xuenchen

Originally posted by jimmyx
maybe, income has not kept up with living expenses, maybe, the 9 million jobs sent overseas by corporations and businessesv have left many people with no job source, maybe giving massive tax breaks to those very corporations and the wealthy, have made this country an economic fuedal kingdom

"" the 9 million jobs sent overseas by corporations and businesses""

Why, in your opinion, has Obama and Congress NOT done anything to fix that ??

They had plenty of chances.

That's my exact question to my politicians here (UK). A lot of companies started going Years ago and back then (me, who's just a normal man) knew this would kick us in the back side sooner or later ... And guess what ... It did and now a lot of jobs are in other Countries while people here struggle with finding jobs or finding better jobs. It just proves these big companies have the politicians in their pockets from the start.

Originally posted by neo96
So there are 320 million Americans who currently living in the Us and 49% of that is 156,800,000 half this country is living off someone elses blood and sweat.

And they are screaming no no there's nothing wrong let's add more free crap is there any wonder we have a 16 trillion dollar deficit thus it proves what i have been saying for long time now.

Never before in this entire nation's history there more people consuming other peoples money instead of making their own or:

Hoorah for getting paid by tax revenue instead of generating their own long term wealth.

blood and sweat?? really? what blood and sweat has wall street used...apparently the only people you think work in this country are the wealthy,
what blood and sweat, has a goldman saks investment banker used, when he recieves a 10 million dollar bonus?
who do you think picks up your garbage? the wealthy? who do you think paves the roads so you can drive your bmw on...thewealthy? who do you think makes your food, your clothes, builds your boats, your planes, your mansions, the wealthy?

How is this obama's fault when Capitalism creates means of to find cheaper production . Did obama create capitalism? I must know!

reply to post by jimmyx


So is there a point there other than citing 100 year old left wing rhetoric?

Second.

Creating dependence on Big Government is the aim of every tyrant who masks as an agent of good. They've achieved that slowly, gradually, subtly so that nobody would notice.

Thats right, lets blame the poor people.

Did anyone notice the news articles about the 600 billion dollar defense budget?

How much money did the FEd print to pay the bankers in the QE plans?

This is just more crap to feed the masses?

I have an idea, lets give congress a pay raise, even though tax revenues are stagnant.

It is always the poor mans fault.

Originally posted by liejunkie01
Thats right, lets blame the poor people.

Did anyone notice the news articles about the 600 billion dollar defense budget?

How much money did the FEd print to pay the bankers in the QE plans?

This is just more crap to feed the masses?

I have an idea, lets give congress a pay raise, even though tax revenues are stagnant.

It is always the poor mans fault.

These stats haven't changed, their just posted during a time of political divide and presidential campaigning

Guess it really is too much to ask for people to have an adult conversation without someone throwing out the victim card and saying anyone critical of the welfare complex hates poor people,.

Really must be asking too damn much.

It's easy to get people on government aid when you have the power to print up all the money you need. This has always been about creating an unpayable debt then "foreclosing" if you will by rescuing nations (like Greece) with loans from the IMF. This is how they destroy national sovereignty and institute rule by the banking elites.
Sure, some people are lazy and will take advantage of such programs but many can't find work or the work they can find doesn't pay as much as the welfare programs. They even have free phone programs now..I remember back in the 70's paying phone bills of over $200 just for a few hours of long distance. Now it's free? ::shakes head:::

Originally posted by xuenchen

Originally posted by jimmyx
maybe, income has not kept up with living expenses, maybe, the 9 million jobs sent overseas by corporations and businessesv have left many people with no job source, maybe giving massive tax breaks to those very corporations and the wealthy, have made this country an economic fuedal kingdom

"" the 9 million jobs sent overseas by corporations and businesses""

Why, in your opinion, has Obama and Congress NOT done anything to fix that ??

They had plenty of chances.

well, because republicans voted in right-wingers that kiss the ass of every wealthy person around, no matter how much it hurts the middle class and poor. you know, this isn't some vast secret knowledge....they come right out and brag about it, and the simple numbers of income disparity are easily attainable and verifiable.
the republican house even voted down THE EQUAL PAY ACT FOR WOMEN!!!....what a proud moment in republican political circles.

They are recieving alot more than 1 benefit. I see people here who get 600 a month in free food, have a brand new hummer or mercedes, not a brain cell in there head, and of course no job. Millions of them all over Cleveland. Everything free is the mindset here. Just consuming , throwing trash in the street, and crapping all over the world .Meanwhile veterans get turned into the street in there wheelchairs. Wait till they turn that food card off my dude. Then well see how cool lil wayne is then.

The fact of the matter, is that the media is portraying a middle class vs wealthy scienero. When in fact its poor vs rich.

The media is instigating a class warfare

reply to post by xuenchen

The funny thing is you're not even getting anything out of your "welfare system".

I watched a documentary about the U.S. "welfare system" the other day and you're basically just handing out money without any perspective on improvement of the welfare recipients' situation.

Without an effective and thoroughly monitored occupational re-training / re-education program, you're not really giving people an incentive to get back to work.

A proper unemployment insurance system should be designed to assist people through a rough patch for a short time and then get them back into work as soon as possible, not as paid holiday.