The Dynamics of Welfare Use: How Long and How Often?

During the 1980's, the debate over the merits of the welfare system has become a topic of considerable concern. The budget cuts that were directed at various welfare programs were both applauded and criticized by members of the political and academic communities. The on-going debate, regarding the positive and/or negative effects of welfare programs is exemplified in the work of Charles Murray and Michael Harrington. Research analyzing the dynamics of welfare use has primarily focused on female headed families receiving Aid to Families with Dependent Children. The welfare population contains several dominant types of households. These households participate in the welfare system differently. The patterns of welfare are important from a policy perspective. The idea of an entrenched welfare class remaining on public assistance for years at a time is simply incorrect. Social welfare policy should be constructed with the recognition that households using welfare do so in brief but occasionally periodic spells.