Social welfare schemes are an essential part of a refined society. Those who benefit particularly from such a plan are single mothers, the physically and mentally challenged, the sick, the old and the unemployed.
However, some believe that people should not be a burden to the government. The following paragraphs discuss in detail the pros and cons of social welfare payment and state my view. On the one hand, those who criticize welfare schemes argue that it is the responsibility of the family to support and provide for the handicapped and the unemployed. It is very expensive to provide all inclusive help for all the physically or mentally challenged persons. They argue that social welfare schemes make people dependant on the state and tend to destroy their self-esteem.
However, it is believed that Governments have a responsibility towards the handicapped and the underemployed as in most cases, it is not necessarily their fault that they remain unemployed. The responsibility falls on government’s shoulders to support their citizens. One of the possible reasons for the increase in crime rate is unemployment or underemployment. In desperation, the poor turn to crime to make a living. An increase in the number of policemen is more expensive than providing welfare. And it is wise to get crimes controlled from within, and not by an external force.
In conclusion, in many societies the world over many good social programmes are not properly executed. However, it does not mean that they are useless. Without welfare payments, the gap between the poor and the rich will continue to widen and will eventually lead to social disturbance.