If Americans experience hardships, the social safety net helps. It comprises various federal programs that pay benefits to individuals or families. The goal is to provide them with a minimum standard of living until they can earn financial independence.
There are 13 social safety net programs, as listed below. In addition, state and local government and non-profit organizations also have programs to protect and help Americans. These programs vary by location, including food, housing, counseling, and other benefits.
Definition
Social safety net broadly means any government program that benefits individuals or families. This broad definition includes Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Unemployment, and Welfare Programs in the U.S. Social safety net narrowly means programs that protect low-income or homeless citizens. These programs are also called antipoverty or welfare programs and are listed below.
Attributes
The following attributes describe social safety net programs:
- Entitlement Program – This term indicates that the government program is available to all citizens. Therefore, all safety net programs are also Entitlement Programs.
- Non-contributory – Americans do not need to contribute through taxes to the program to receive benefits. All antipoverty or welfare programs function this way in the U.S. Low-income individuals or families get the benefits for free. This contrasts With Social Security or Medicare, which are contributory programs. They collect payroll taxes from citizens. More.
- Means-tested – All antipoverty safety net programs aim at low-income individuals and families. The determination of this is through means-testing. The government reviews an individual’s or family’s income to qualify them for benefits.
More Information on Safety Net Programs
Hidden Entitlement
The safety net to fight poverty is not a single program; no single federal government agency runs it. Instead, the system comprises thirteen programs run by eight different agencies. The listing below aggregates these programs for ease of understanding the overall system.
The safety net programs are programs solely to aid low-income Americans. For example, food stamps are included, but food inspection programs are not. More
Makeup of the Safety Net
The social safety net is made up of a complex array of programs. They are generally independent and attack a single aspect of poverty, such as food or rent. As a result, each has specific regulations, goals, and benefits. Large government agencies run them with thousands of federal employees. Taken as a whole, they represent a challenging matrix for the poor to use and for the American taxpayer to understand.
Safety Net Programs and Their Cost in Billions
The table below is a listing of social safety net programs. For more information on each program, click on it.
| Safety Net Program | Fiscal Year 2021 | Fiscal Year 2022 | Fiscal Year 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Refundable Tax Credits – Earned income tax credit (EITC) and child tax credit Cash is paid to working families who pay no income tax. | $140 | $196 | $84 |
| SNAP – Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program Formally called the food stamp program. Debit cards are distributed to the poor to buy food. | 134 | 148 | 135 |
| Housing Assistance – HUD housing programs Includes rent vouchers, public housing, and community development programs. | 90 | 77 | 67 |
| SSI – Supplemental Security Income Cash is paid to disabled, blind, or seniors over 65. | 58 | 63 | 62 |
| Pell Grants Grants are paid to students to help pay for college tuition, room, and board. | 29 | 27 | 31 |
| TANF – Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Cash is paid to support low-income families and move them from welfare to work. | 15 | 15 | 16 |
| Child Nutrition School lunch, breakfast, and after-school food programs. | 26 | 37 | 29 |
| Head Start Preschool program | 13 | 14 | 15 |
| Job Training Various programs & employment support for adults, youth, and seniors. | 5 | 6 | 6 |
| WIC – Women, Infants, and Children High protein food for pregnant women and children up to five years old. | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| Child Care Child care and after-school programs | 15 | 26 | 26 |
| LIHEAP – Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program Aid for heating or cooling a residential dwelling. | 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Lifeline (Obama Phone) Phone subsidy, including cell phones | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Total costs from 13 Welfare Programs | 536 | 623 | 485 |
| Medicaid Health care for low-income Americans | 521 | 592 | 616 |
| Total Federal Welfare costs | $1,057 | $1,215 | $1,101 |
All figures from USGovernmentSpending.com [Internet]. Available here. It was retrieved on March 15, 2024.