Helping hand or handout?

Some complain that federal benefit programs are an unnecessary handout—people receive the handout and do nothing but consume it and then ask for more. The handout not only wastes our tax dollars, but it keeps people from having the motivation to try to take care of themselves.

Others say the programs are a needed helping hand that helps people get on their feet. These folks need training and help with their kids. Without this assistance, they will stay mired in poverty. With it, they will be able to get their heads above water, get trained, and find jobs that will allow them to prosper.

Can you provide examples—either people you’ve known personally, or stories you’ve heard—preferably sourced, to indicate which you believe it is? If you have no sourced stories, what stories have you heard to indicate these programs work the way you think they work? Please make sure to say what kind of evidence your ideas are based on.