Urban Therapy with Sun #74 Welfare vs Working

Is working at a job always more beneficial than being on welfare? Is being on welfare always less beneficial than having a job? Is it always a no brainer about which is better? Are the opportunities on an even playing ground for both?

Consider these issues concerning welfare vs working

Children and child care

Health insureance

Cost of living

Renting, owning or section 8

Food stamps and the cost of food

Part time employment, full time employment and working under the table

Educational opportunities

Negative vs positive stagmatization

Low wage employment with little or no benefits.

Upward mobility

Poverty

Family history of being on welfare or working

Career aspirations

Children seeing that parents don't work and setting an example

The list goes on and on and on.

So which one is better in the long run or does it depend on where you are in your life physically, emotionally and mentally?

Surely there are people that would never consider getting on welfare no matter what and there seem to be people that know how to work the system to death in order to stay on welfare. Does that mean they won't work no matter what? I can't say. Can you?