Therefore, they are obtaining self-sufficiency and allowing congress to claim victory for obtaining one of its goals, for welfare reform.
The most controversial change in the welfare system is that a five-year lifetime limit has also added to the new reform. Recipients can no longer fall back on cash benefits for their means of financial support, where before the reform, recipients could return to welfare whenever they so desired. In addition to the five-year lifetime limit on cash benefits, recipients must also be working within two years of receiving their first benefit. Even though recipients have access to other benefits, such as, food stamps and childcare assistance after the five-year time limit, many do not participate in these programs, because of a lack of knowledge. For the reason that, many recipients leave welfare without contacting their caseworker; therefore, the caseworker is unable to inform the recipient of the addition welfare benefits. Although currently, more recipients are working rather than relying on welfare, the question remains, has welfare reform positively benefited the poor, the very people it was intended to benefit?.
Even though more welfare recipients are becoming self-sufficient through work, many of them return to welfare sporadically, until their time limit is up, or they are forced to take low paying jobs, due to a lack of education and work experience. Many "Welfare-to-Work" families continue to live below the poverty level. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, a family of three making less than $15,260.00 in one year is considered to be below the current poverty level (qtd. in Dep. Of Health A2). According to statistics, single mothers are the most affected group of people when it comes to the new reform. For instance, a single mother with three children, living in California, working fulltime and making minimum wage, (currently at $6.