Government Assistance on Welfare Programs

S. B. 311 will reform the current system of welfare. The reform of the national system is based on the Wisconsin Works or W-2 bill. The bill makes it necessary for people receiving financial, medical, and other various types of government assistance to work for what they receive. The goal of this bill is to eventually get everyone off of the current welfare system. This bill requires everyone who is currently receiving welfare to find employment or enter a job training program. The part of the W-2 bill that will be included is the part that deals with job location. Every participant would have to meet with a financial and employment planner, who would help develop a money and time management program for that person. They would also determine which level of employment or training the participant is ready for. Here are the levels from top to bottom: Unsubsidized Employment: People entering at this level will be offered the best available and immediate job opportunity. If the job does not provide a high enough income to support oneself, income credits, food stamps, Medical Assistance, and child care may be accessible for 6 months. This period of time is given to the participant to locate a higher income job. Trial Jobs: These jobs are designed for people who are not able to locate unsubsidized work. The bill would cover added costs to the employer for training an employee which might need extra support in job training for the first 3-6 months. These trial jobs should result in permanent positions. While a participant is working at a trial job the would be eligible for all of the current assistance programs. If a person quits a trial job they will be ineligible for any further financial or any other type of assistance. Community Service Jobs: This category is reserved for people who do not have the job skills necessary to be hired by a regular employer. CSJ workers would receive $700 per week for up to eight months. During this period, a participant would have to work 30 hours a week and have 10 hours of educational training a week. After the eight months, the participant would be transferred to a trial job. Transition: Transition jobs are only for those people unable to perform self-sustaining work. These participants would receive up to $700 a week for up to a year. During this period, a participant would be required to have 30 hours of work and/or developmental training a week and 10 hours of educational training a week. Participants would be eligible for all assistance programs and would be required to move to the CSJ category after a year. These are the measures that would be taken to help people find employment and permanently get them off of welfare. The current national system that is being used for work requirements is TANF. TANF stands for the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families. The required number of monthly hours of participation in the program is 25 hours for 1999. Job skills ttraining, education related to employment, and secondary school or GED completion does not count towards the first 20 hours of participation. They can be in the program for up to 24 months and can receive all of the current welfare benefits. Then job searching is allowed for an additional 3 months, while participants still receive benefits. The only punishment this programs implements for able adults that do not work is that the adult would only receive foods stamps for 3 months out of a three year period. However, the person would still be eligible for other assistance benefits. The current national system seems like a joke. It is practically encouraging people not to work. It has a basis for some practical ideas, but the requirements are far too small and there is virtually no motivation for a person to work. Everyone is not given an equal chance to get a job growing up, but that does not mean working Americans should have to support them. S. B. 311 proposes a practical working plans for unemployed citizens and also has rigid standards. The expectations are high of the participants, but it is time that unemployed people have to work for what they receive. The bill proposes a plan which provides adequate assistance for people receiving job training and assistance to those who are starting unsubsidized work. On the other hand, the guidelines of the bill were designed not to tolerate an unwillingness to work. If a person chooses not to work, or to go through the levels of job training, they will receive no government assistance. This seems harsh, but who wants to support someone who refuses to work? The participants of this program are given more than a fair chance to find employment and if they choose not to work, they will suffer the consequences.