I was hearing today off someone that over here, they will be bringing in that if alcoholics/drug addicts refuse to go to rehab they will lose the benefits they claim for? I think I may have misheard though.

I dont think there's anything wrong with helping your fellow man. However I work part time and I dont even eat that good LOL I need to get foodstamps if I can spend $150 on lobster LMAO but you know what, if the people really need the food money, there's nothing wrong with them eating like a king once in a while... lobster is pretty damn good

I do agree that there is abuse sometimes, but the extent is unknown

In my hometown, there was a Chinese couple that were selling all types of illicit drugs, lived in a multimillion dollar mansion and also scammed welfare for money... brethren was caking it in all different ways LOL

I think, by it's nature, welfare is hard to understand politically. And usually things like that are negator. However, the job market sux and if you don't have a college degree odds are you will be on welfare sometime.

my thought process is that if having welfare means that some good, needy ppl will be greatly helped then im willing to sacrifice the fact that idiots will abuse the system

i think things like this become personalized. i know my opinion has changed greatly. i worked with a woman through college. she was in her late 40s, had been in a physically abusive relationship for yrs, had leukemia, needed blood transfusions on a semi reglar basis etc. that lady busted her ass at two jobs to pay for her medical bills. she lived in a trailer with a bunch of cats.

another coworker had a deadbeat ex husband who didnt pay child support for 2 kids and was in and out of jail, takin under the table construction money when he was able to work.

my point being i saw those ppl work hard for what little they had and it still wouldnt have been enough without some assistance.

people abuse every system. theres always loopholes or shady stuff with everything and i certainly dont want to paint the majority of welfare recipients to be saints or evil either. theres plenty of ppl who both need the help and are legit tryin to better their lives and be productive members of society and plenty of ppl who are doin the opposite. they are the riff raff that come into the small town bar from their section 8 housin across the street and start fights every wknd.

so not sure where im goin here but yea i support welfare

That's a very big generalisation there, I live and work in Melbourne. I work with children in one of the poorest regions of Victoria and my school has one of the lowest socio-economic indexes statuses in Australia- most families are on welfare. Many of the recipients of welfare packages are recent refugees or migrants who want the best for their children and are so happy to be in Australia but it is very difficult to them to get employment. Many of them survive on welfare while they are taking English classes, then once their English is up to scratch they mostly commence employment in a valuable sector of our society. They care so much for their kids and only want the best for them. There are also a couple of single parents on welfare with disabled children who are so demanding they can't work enough hours to make ends meet. Not all people on welfare are drug dealers and junkies who don't give a **** about their kids. That is a very strong generalisation about the kinds of people who are on welfare.

Then there are also the children from Australian families of generational poverty who are very different, however. It sometimes seems like they don't care about their children, because many of them have mental disorders such as depression or are too concerned about putting food on the table that for them school is not a priority. The point of action there, I think, is helping and educating the parents as WELL as the children to help them create a better life. My job means that I liaise a lot with public housing and DHS, and DHS research has shown that the most effective action plan is to have people actually work with these families, show them life skills and educate them on money/budgeting/employment to help them live a better life.

So basically... It's a huge sweeping statement to say that most people on welfare and in public housing are junkies and drug dealer-types who don't give a **** about their kids. When you get to know these families you realise that it is very different and very complicated. As much as everyone criticises it, I think that the welfare system that is in place is very good considering the resources that are given and the budget that is allocated to it. Services like DHS do A LOT to help these families and educate them with life skills, as opposed to just handing out cash and food stamps, they actually do a lot more.

The myth about welfare queens needs to be addressed in my opinion. People harp on and on about the level of fraud that goes on but in reality it's not as great as people actually think. Also if you were ever on welfare you would know that it's not that easy to just get away with fraud in the first place. This also depends on the area you live in as well but majority of the time. Case workers at least in my area are so quick to sanction people's cases at the slightest hint of fraud. They also make you jump through so many hoops like the stupid little amount of assistance they are giving is coming out of their pockets. Their general attitude is one of disdain most of the time.

If I have to hear someone whine about "this is where my tax dollars are going to helping people commit fraud.." STFU. I swear I will punch the next person in the throat that gripes about their "tax dollars". Those same tax dollars would still be taken out of your check regardless of where it ****ing goes. Even if it wasn't going towards this program it would still be taken out to go towards other programs so just shut up about it already. You live in and area and just face facts you have to pay a fee for living in said area and call it a day.