Welfare is primarily a problem of single mothers. The best way to reduce it is to reduce single motherhood.
I think the state should pay married stay at home moms a stipend based on their husbands earnings. This would act as a counter negative marginal tax rate to offset the benefit phase out (the mothers stipend would count towards house…
Welfare is primarily a problem of single mothers. The best way to reduce it is to reduce single motherhood.
I think the state should pay married stay at home moms a stipend based on their husbands earnings. This would act as a counter negative marginal tax rate to offset the benefit phase out (the mothers stipend would count towards household gross income). The additional income would push most households above current welfare thresholds.
It would disincentive mothers with young children from getting whatever jobs current welfare requirements force them to while incenting their husbands to get jobs. This seems like a good trade.
Since benefits scale with income it won't be dysgenic.
It also doesn't require changing existing laws.
I also think there could be positives for divorce if alimony/child support were replaced with being able to continue the stipend for a period of time based on the length of the marriage.
The child tax credits are greatly appreciated by middle class families. I distinctly remember after the credits were expanded in the early 2000s that my federal tax bill dropped to the low single digits as a percentage of my income. I was able to be the primary income provider and still have our family enjoy surplus income.
And now my married children are greatly benefitting from expansive child tax credits. Without them they would be financially strapped and greatly discouraged from having children.
Our tax system was changed to mostly eliminate marriage penalties. Eliminate the two-parent (actually ANY two adults) household penalty and that would make a huge difference. ...but still need to minimize disincentives to more work. That is the goal of replacing benefits with ubi.
"Welfare is primarily a problem of single mothers."
Food assistance (SNAP, formerly food stamps), housing assistance (Section 8 and public housing), fuel assistance, and free to the recipient medical insurance (Medicaid) DO NOT require being a single mother. They are pretty much based on "need".
TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, the successor to AFDC) is an important but relatively small part of what governments do to support poor people.
Sure. But good luck qualifying for tanf or public housing as a single male. Part of the single parent issue is that it's tough qualifying with a two parent household.
Welfare is primarily a problem of single mothers. The best way to reduce it is to reduce single motherhood.
I think the state should pay married stay at home moms a stipend based on their husbands earnings. This would act as a counter negative marginal tax rate to offset the benefit phase out (the mothers stipend would count towards household gross income). The additional income would push most households above current welfare thresholds.
It would disincentive mothers with young children from getting whatever jobs current welfare requirements force them to while incenting their husbands to get jobs. This seems like a good trade.
Since benefits scale with income it won't be dysgenic.
It also doesn't require changing existing laws.
I also think there could be positives for divorce if alimony/child support were replaced with being able to continue the stipend for a period of time based on the length of the marriage.
The child tax credits are greatly appreciated by middle class families. I distinctly remember after the credits were expanded in the early 2000s that my federal tax bill dropped to the low single digits as a percentage of my income. I was able to be the primary income provider and still have our family enjoy surplus income.
And now my married children are greatly benefitting from expansive child tax credits. Without them they would be financially strapped and greatly discouraged from having children.
Our tax system was changed to mostly eliminate marriage penalties. Eliminate the two-parent (actually ANY two adults) household penalty and that would make a huge difference. ...but still need to minimize disincentives to more work. That is the goal of replacing benefits with ubi.
"Welfare is primarily a problem of single mothers."
Food assistance (SNAP, formerly food stamps), housing assistance (Section 8 and public housing), fuel assistance, and free to the recipient medical insurance (Medicaid) DO NOT require being a single mother. They are pretty much based on "need".
TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, the successor to AFDC) is an important but relatively small part of what governments do to support poor people.
Sure. But good luck qualifying for tanf or public housing as a single male. Part of the single parent issue is that it's tough qualifying with a two parent household.