There has been talk lately of doing this here in Michigan. What they have done here is put a cap on welfare. What that means is you are limited to 48 months (four years), no exceptions, and you have to show you are actively seeking work. No extentions after four years. It took effect late last year, and it was retroactive, meaning your time clock started the day you started receiving welfare, and if that was three years ago, you had a year left; some had over four years and were told they were done. There was a court challenge of course, and it passed the challenge and was allowed to go into effect and become law. I am all for helping folks in need, to a point. Welfare was designed to be a temporary fix for folks that lost their job, their home, etc. It was never meant to be a 'career' as many have made it and attempted to make it. But let me decide what to do with my money, who to help, where to spend it, charities to give to that help those in need, I don't want the government using their grubby hands to 'redistribute' MY money as THEY see fit.
Florida did the "cap" thing also quite some time ago,but I think it is only 2 years max! I am not sure about the retroactive part..
About 13 years ago when I started going with my current wife.We had some problems ,broke up and she had gone on welfare for about a year..She had a son by a previous relationship,and my oldest daughter,who was a baby.I gave her cash throughout the breakup.We winded up working out our problems and have been together since,getting married and having 1 more daughter together
The point of this story is this--The state came after me for the year of benefits she recieved..Now I didn't mind this too much except I felt that I should only repay half and the other father should pay half..They told me that whichever father they "catch"is the one that pays..I said I wasn't hiding anywhere to be needed to be caught and I was paying her ,blah,blah,they didn't care about nothing .The fact that I worked on the books made it easier for them to take the money out of my check etc.--They did tell me that I could sue the other father for half which is a joke..
I really did not mind repaying the state.It was around $ 4000,they took about $ 80 a week out of my pay till it was done,pus they took a chunk of my income tax refund one year.What I did mind was paying the other guys debt as he was free and clear also after I paid up.--
-That is one way that Florida gets the taxpayers money back!Maybe more states should use these methods...jeff