Does America have a benefits system?

Question

I thought i would check this out for my fellow Britons who may have to work for their benefits.

Answer 1

yes.

we pay taxes and the govt  has supports in place for many. IE: welfare, social security, medicare, medicade, and a variety of loans and grants for different people and unemployment and work training. we don't have socialized medicine but you can't be turned away from a hospital for emergency treatment

Answer 2

We have a social security system, but compared to the UK, our benefits system is lackluster.

Answer 3

Some countries have it. I think Peru

Answer 4

Yes, there are certain benefits for citizens, and the state, local and federal govts all take a goodly portion of our hard-earned pay.  Total taxes (FICA, federal/state/local income, property, utilities taxes, phone taxes and more) take at least half of income for a married couple, and up to 70% for lower-income singles.

Social Security is going bankrupt, the federal govt is deeply in debt, several states have deficits so serious they are near bankruptcy, and some towns/cities are in bankruptcy.  40% of the population are collecting one or more "benefit" and the majority of those on welfare are in fact illegal aliens scamming the system.  

If the UK weren't at least as bad, I'd ask you about coming there, but friends there are seeking a way out themselves.

Answer 5

Yes, but it isn't as padded as yours. It serves mainly the disabled, sick, old, the very poor and underprivileged. Some people manage to crack the system and get benefits when they don't need it, but it's becoming increasingly hard to do. Personally, I wish social security helped the disabled, sick and old as much as possible, and tried to educate the poor to end the cycle of poverty & relying on benefits.

Answer 6

yes... those of us who work pay about 1/2 of our money to the government... the government then divides it up and gives it to those who spend all of their time having babies with other people that don't work.  So, the US has benefits for some of the population, but the rest of us are "ruggedly independent."

Answer 7

Medicare for age 65 and over taxed from wages at 2.9% (half employee, half employer) and Social Security taxed from wages at 12.4% (again 6.2% employee, 6.2% employer) for age 65 and over.

That's about it - oh, and medicaid and welfare for folks with zero assets.