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I thought that government benefits in the US were shite? I can understand why European men might opt-out but I thought that you were basically dooming yourself

I thought that government benefits in the US were shite? I can understand why European men might opt-out but I thought that you were basically dooming yourself to homelessness without a job in America. How are these men living?

tathougies 7y ago
Government benefits in the US are not shit, at all. They are very generous if you qualify. The issue is qualifying, or lying to do so.
- freepor 7y ago
  Hm, then I suspect that soon enough those benefits will go the way of the LL Bean return policy.
  - kevingadd 7y ago
    Historically the benefits are either narrowed in eligibility or more constraints are added. For example, while you can call federal disability benefits "generous" there are lots of nasty constraints that make them awful regardless - while your disability benefit may be "generous" you're forbidden from having much in the way of savings and your "net worth" for that calculation often includes things like a retirement account from work you did while you were still healthy. (Yes, really) Means-testing and carve-outs like that to catch "cheaters" are a common way to eat away at benefits in the US, and politicians are actively adding more stuff like that to food assistance and other programs currently. Means-testing is especially effective here because a "reasonable" limit can be set with the knowledge that the limit will cease to be reasonable after 5-25 years of inflation and expense increases because lawmakers will never, ever raise the limit.
refurb 7y ago
I laugh when people make comments like “except in places like the US that don’t have a social safety net”. A majority of the US federal budget is entitlement spending. And that doesn’t include state spending either.
sdinsn 7y ago
> How are these men living? Likely with family or friends. Unemployment payment isn't too great and it is temporary- so it doesn't go far
raydev 7y ago
> I thought that government benefits in the US were shite? They absolutely are. What most people are overlooking in this thread is that jobs at the bottom are awful. Minimum wages that haven't changed in years. Places that pay minimum wage also tend toward part time schedules without benefits, and on top of that it's usually shift work where schedules are given a couple weeks in advance. I have family members who've 'opted' for disability. I don't blame them at all. They'd be in an even worse position having to pay for car maintenance to get them to their shitty jobs. Also the gov't has perversely incentivized this by ripping all benefits away the moment you get a job, no matter how little it pays or how many hours you get. But don't be confused, these people on disability aren't enjoying life at all, it's just a slightly more humane way to live.

tathougies 7y ago

Government benefits in the US are not shit, at all. They are very generous if you qualify. The issue is qualifying, or lying to do so.

freepor 7y ago
Hm, then I suspect that soon enough those benefits will go the way of the LL Bean return policy.
- kevingadd 7y ago
  Historically the benefits are either narrowed in eligibility or more constraints are added. For example, while you can call federal disability benefits "generous" there are lots of nasty constraints that make them awful regardless - while your disability benefit may be "generous" you're forbidden from having much in the way of savings and your "net worth" for that calculation often includes things like a retirement account from work you did while you were still healthy. (Yes, really) Means-testing and carve-outs like that to catch "cheaters" are a common way to eat away at benefits in the US, and politicians are actively adding more stuff like that to food assistance and other programs currently. Means-testing is especially effective here because a "reasonable" limit can be set with the knowledge that the limit will cease to be reasonable after 5-25 years of inflation and expense increases because lawmakers will never, ever raise the limit.

refurb 7y ago

I laugh when people make comments like “except in places like the US that don’t have a social safety net”. A majority of the US federal budget is entitlement spending. And that doesn’t include state spending either.

sdinsn 7y ago

> How are these men living? Likely with family or friends. Unemployment payment isn't too great and it is temporary- so it doesn't go far

raydev 7y ago

> I thought that government benefits in the US were shite? They absolutely are. What most people are overlooking in this thread is that jobs at the bottom are awful. Minimum wages that haven't changed in years. Places that pay minimum wage also tend toward part time schedules without benefits, and on top of that it's usually shift work where schedules are given a couple weeks in advance. I have family members who've 'opted' for disability. I don't blame them at all. They'd be in an even worse position having to pay for car maintenance to get them to their shitty jobs. Also the gov't has perversely incentivized this by ripping all benefits away the moment you get a job, no matter how little it pays or how many hours you get. But don't be confused, these people on disability aren't enjoying life at all, it's just a slightly more humane way to live.