2009-2010 Debate Topic2009-2010 Debate Topic

Social Services for Persons Living in Poverty

Social Services for Persons Living in Poverty

The ResolutionThe Resolution

Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase social services for persons living in poverty in the United States.

Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase social services for persons living in poverty in the United States.

In Poverty• What might this mean?

In Poverty• Economic considerations - $$

• Other considerations - food, water, shelter, clothing

Federal Poverty Standard• Johnson Administration - 1965

– War on Poverty– Must be able to define

• Money left over after paying for food– Food budget x3

• Only difference now is adjusted for food inflation (how much food costs)

• Determined annually by Department of Health and Human Services– ~$10,000 for a single person

A few stats on Poverty• 1:8 Americans (12.5%)• 37 million people

– 1:4 are immigrants - counting issues– 43% in extreme poverty (< 50% poverty line)– 90 million Americans in “near poverty” - 200% -

many social services also go to the near poor

• Study: up to 50% of the US population will qualify as “in poverty” at some point - job loss, health crisis, etc.

Problems with Counting via Poverty Line

• Conservatives: poverty line too high - home ownership and economic growth

• Liberals: poverty line too low - overall cost of living has increased above wages and food costs - health care, etc.

• Problem of geographic disparities and cost of living

• Census reporting problems

Other Ways to Count Poverty

• Basic Needs

• Rarely used in the US - widely used internationally

• Problems: less uniform

• Important T debate here– Can the aff target the near poor? Etc.– Only federal poverty line?

Causes of Poverty• Single service vs. social institutions

• Myths– “Poor are lazy”

Causes of Poverty 2.0• #1 - Not Enough Jobs - unemployment rate• #2 - High Paying Jobs - in 2K, there is no

county in the US you can live on minimum wage and own an apartment

• #3 - Education - HS as predictor• #4 - Children with single parents - 1 vs. 2 care

providers/wage earners• #5 - “Vicious Circle” - fewer opportunities

Social Services• What might this mean?

Social Services• “services directed at limiting poverty”• “organized efforts to advance human welfare”• federally funded or administered• program with benefits to poor communities• there are a TON of these - we will come back

to them in the discussion of current federal programs

Two Types of Social Services

• Block Grants– Fed money to states - states directly provide– Specific Purpose, some conditions– States choose most specifics– Most social services in the US– Capped programs

• Entitlement Programs– Required to serve all eligible participants– Pay based on number served

History of Social Services• Early Social Services

– Private entities and churches– Pensions for soldiers during Revolutionary

War

History of Social Services• The Great Depression

– 1/4 of workforce unemployed– Social Security Act

• Benefits to retirees and unemployed• Families with Dependent Children• Maternal and Child Welfare Assistance• Public Health Services• Vocational Rehabilitation

History of Social Services• War on Poverty (1960s)

– Food Stamps– Work Study– Medicaid– Medicare– VISTA– Job Corps– Head Start

History of Social Services• Welfare Reform (1990s)

– Big Fight!

• Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA)– Replaced Aid to Families with Dependent Children

(AFDC) with Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)

– Substantial increase in conditions

Welfare Reform• 3 Goals

– Reduce welfare dependence and increase employment

– Reduce child poverty– Reduce out of wedlock childbearing and

strengthen marriage

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

• Biggest Program in the Lit• DHHS Program• Block grants• Individual states design their own welfare

programs• Income and funding levels vary by state• Includes direct cash, family planning, back to

work programs, childcare, work support, employment programs

TANF Continued• Requires participants to work - no less

than 2 years after getting assistance

• 30-55 hours per week depending on family size

• 5 year limit lifetime

• Targeted single mothers

Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

• Capped block grants from DHHS

• Generally, cash to people with (very) limited income

• Over 65, blind or disabled

• Not based on previous work

• Can only have $2K to qualify

Title XX Social Services Block Grant Program

• Capped block grants - they determine which social services they fund

• Allocated based on population (not # of PLIP)

• Many various programs here - foster care, individuals with disabilities, child protective services…

Medicaid• Federal-state partnership with DHHS (1965)• Medical care to low income persons• States run the programs, fed sets minimum

eligibility• 1/3 spent on senior citizens (long-term care

options)• Not individual payments - health care

providers

Head Start• DHHS

• “Preschool plus”– Nutrition– Family Counseling– Lots of parental involvement

State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)

• DHHS• Health insurance for kids and some

parents who can’t afford health care but are not eligible for Medicaid

• Not available to legal immigrants after 1996

• Preventative care• Maybe not a social service

Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Programs (SNAP)

• Formerly Food Stamps

• Department of Agriculture (DOA)

• Assists low income families to buy food

• Can also be used for temporary assistance after natural disasters (Katrina)

Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC)

• DOA 1974

• Nutritious foods, education and referrals

• Low income pregnant and breast-feeding women, children up to age 5 at nutrition risk

• Serves 45% of all infants born in the US

National School Lunch Program

• DOA

• Free or reduced price lunches for PLIP as well as people much higher

Federal Housing Assistance (FHA)

• Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

• Rental housing assistance (vouchers)

• Federal assistance to states and localities (block grants)

• Homeownership assistance (mortgage insurance/assistance)

Refugee Assistance• 1980

• Emergency admissions for refugees and resettlement

• Unaccompanied alien children

• Cash and medical assistance

• Employment services

Recent Changes in Social Services

• 2009 American Recovery and Investment Act (aka? stimulus!)– $3bn emergency fund for new welfare recipients– $15bn expansion child tax credit– $86.6bn for Medicaid– $2.1bn for Head Start– $2bn for Community Health Centers– $1bn for Veterans Health Administration– And lots more!

• Back to more $ for more people

Aff Areas• Basic expansion of Social Services

• Social Services targeted to specific groups

• Removal of federal limits on Social Services

• Programs targeted at the states

Basic Expansion of Social Services

• Child care subsidy• Nutrition• Homelessness• Counseling• Lead Paint• Child Support• Education• Health Care

Social Services for Specific Groups

• Military

• Federal Detention Centers

• Federal Prisons

• Indian Reservations

• New Orleans

• Immigrants

Removal of Federal Limits on Social Services

• Welfare Reform

• Food Stamps

• Abortions