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People Food Program Poor Stamp U.S Money Rich

Id ESLPod_0297_CN
Episode Id ESLPod 297
Episode Title Being Rich and Poor
Title Being Rich and Poor
Text

The United States has many "social welfare programs," or governmental programs that are designed to help poor people have a better quality of life. Two of these programs are "the U.S. Food Stamp Program" and "Supplemental Security Income."

The U.S. Food Stamp Program is "administered" (managed) by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It is designed to help poor people buy food. In the past, poor people were given paper "food stamps" that they could give to the grocery store instead of money when buying food. Now, small cards similar to credit cards are more common.

More than half of the people who participate in the food stamp program are children, and 9% are more than 60 years old. Most people believe that the food stamp program is good for helping people in emergencies, but they worry that the program creates "dependencies," meaning that the families think they need the food stamp over a long period of time, and aren't able to stop using the food stamps.

Another social welfare program is "Supplemental Security Income" (SSI), which is a program that pays "aged" (65 years or older), "blind" (not able to see), and "disabled" (injured and not able to do normal activities) people a monthly "stipend" (an amount of money). The stipend is supposed to help them "cover their expenses," or pay for the things they need. To receive SSI payments, a person must show that his or her "income" (the amount of money that he or she earns) is below a certain "limit" (maximum). These people also have to be "legal residents," or people who can show that they live in the U.S. legally.

Topics About You | Money

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