6 welfare myths we all need to stop believing

[G_j]

http://mashable.com/2015/07/27/welfare-myths-debunked/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=rss

Stigma runs deep when it comes to government programs designed to aid low-income individuals and families.

Need-based assistance in the U.S. — such as Women, Infants and Children (WIC), the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, or food stamps) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) — is often subject to public scrutiny, causing those who receive it to feel shame.

But it's all due to the misconception that these programs reward the undeserving, allowing people to "work the system" while rejecting the common (yet highly unrealistic) "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" values of our society. Welfare recipients are also often assumed to share a range of undesirable characteristics, most of which have racist and classist undertones.

These stereotypes simply aren't true. We need to dispel the myths surrounding government benefits so we can truly understand the value of welfare, the humanity of those receiving it and the improvements that could be made to better support those in need.

Below, we explore six common welfare myths, which you can consider thoroughly debunked.

Myth 1: People on welfare are unmotivated and not working.



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