I really don't think that cato is in the ballpark of being an objective source on welfare, though I don't have a reason to disagree with the number you mentione

I really don't think that cato is in the ballpark of being an objective source on welfare, though I don't have a reason to disagree with the number you mentioned. I'm having trouble calculating a max SNAP/food stamps benefit that would exceed $194/month for an individual in urban NYC. Is that modest? Sure, I bet there are some people who are satisfied living off of public welfare alone. They exist in every country, and probably in greater numbers in more-socialized countries. I'm unconvinced that the problem is big enough to warrant cutting any public-welfare programs. Some level of "mooching" is expected. For me, when I was growing up on food stamps and welfare as a refugee, I know that it wasn't a level of living my family wanted to settle at. Evidently, neither does most of the country. The assistance helped us get settled and avoid a situation that surely would have resulted in us being thrown to the streets.