Welfare reform nears critical 5-year mark

Welfare reform has come a long way since the Welfare Reform Act of 1997 was passed and signed into law by President Bill Clinton. Millions of Americans who were part of multigenerational dependency on state and federal handouts have found jobs, many of them after completing tax-funded training programs.

In Missouri, the numbers are astounding. Since 1993 -- and mostly since the Welfare Reform Act -- the welfare caseload has declined 53 percent. Some former welfare recipients have found other means of support, but for the most part they have found employment.

A key component of the Welfare Reform Act was the setting of a five-year lifetime maximum for receiving welfare benefits. That means those who were on welfare in 1997 and continue to receive subsidies face a significant deadline next July when those benefits will be cut off.

Recently, a coalition of social agencies in Missouri began a publicity campaign to draw attention to the plight of welfare recipients who stand to lose their benefits next year and seemingly have no other options for continuing support.

In many regards, the coalition has raised some valid concerns. For example, should the mentally ill, the handicapped and others who cannot work be treated the same as able-bodied individuals who have chosen to live off welfare rather than seek jobs? The coalition also recommends improving and expanding access to post-secondary education even when welfare benefits run out. The social agencies might have included access to such programs as Adult Basic Education and GED programs as well, since many unemployed welfare recipients either haven't completed high school or have diplomas from schools that let them graduate without knowing how to fill out a job application.

Other recommendations, however, go beyond common-sense assistance and simply perpetuate the welfare dilemma. For example, one suggestion was to extend the maximum lifetime benefits period beyond five years. Others were to continue access to tax-subsidized health insurance, day care and food stamps.

The coalition's report highlighted the plight of some former welfare recipients who are now worse off financially as employed workers, because they no longer qualify for food stamps, health care, day care and housing allowances. The report has put its finger on one of the most critical shortcomings of the old welfare program: It was a better deal to be on welfare than to find a job.

While attention needs to be paid to the chronically unemployable, as the coalition's report suggests, future efforts to aid those in need should never succumb to the idea that unlimited federal and state aid is better than education, training and employment.