Samantha Craig
Contemporary Problem Essay
HSM/210
Lori Rice
11/15/2013
There are many challenges in life that can negatively infect a persons’ life. The issue I believe is affecting more and more people is unemployment. In the United States the national unemployment rate is at 7.3%. However in just the state of Pennsylvania alone is at a rate of 7.7%, this is a total of 501,038 people. (Department of Numbers, 2013.) Pennsylvania does provide Unemployment benefits, Career link, and Department of Public Welfare for the people that do qualify. The Department of Public Welfare is available throughout the U.S. It is known as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), (AFDC) Aid to Families with Dependent Children. When unemployed you might not be able to meet the needs of food, or money to buy clothes for interviews, or pay your bills. However welfare is able to provide you with cash assistance. This is where they can give you a certain amount of money that goes on a card and can be used for anything. Food Stamps or SNAP, is given when you can’t provide your family with a lot of food. This can be tricky because they have to know your annual income and have limits set that you have to meet and if you even go over a dollar you lose you benefits. Next, we have the problems with welfare on unemployment. Welfare has a limit on how much you can make a year. Many families have actually lost their benefits because it was only a dollar over the limit for a three person income because the other partner had to get a part time job to make ends meet. When this happens the whole family struggles because they just lost $300 a month in free food when they can only pay for $100. Than they go and see all the families in the “projects” who don’t work and have 3 or 4 kids and not working at all get the benefits they deserve. Many states however, are slowly making it required that you pass a drug and