Nearly Half of U.S. Lives in Household Receiving Government Benefit

From The Wall Street Journal by Sara Murray:

Means-tested programs, designed to help the needy, accounted for the largest share of recipients last year. Some 34.2% of Americans lived in a household that received benefits such as food stamps, subsidized housing, cash welfare or Medicaid (the federal-state health care program for the poor). Another 14.5% lived in homes where someone was on Medicare (the health care program for the elderly). Nearly 16% lived in households receiving Social Security.

Comments (2)

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  1. Marvin M. says:

    Why do we not hear this figure more? It is astounding. And not very encouraging.

  2. Buster says:

    Yeah, you know it’s bad when half the country is living off the other half!