The United States Social Security Administration (SSA) is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government that administers Social Security, a social insurance program consisting of retirement, disability and survivor benefits. To qualify for most of these benefits, most workers pay Social Security taxes on their earnings; the claimant's benefits are based on the wage earner's contributions. Otherwise benefits such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI) are given based on need.
Welfare, or commonly social welfare, is a type of government support intended to ensure that members of a society can meet basic human needs such as food and shelter. Social security may either be synonymous with welfare, or refer specifically to social insurance programs which provide support only to those who have previously contributed, as opposed to social assistance programs which provide support on the basis of need alone. The International Labour Organization defines social security as covering support for those in old age, support for the maintenance of children, medical treatment, parental and sick leave, unemployment and disability benefits, and support for sufferers of occupational injury.
Service and supports for people with disabilities are those government or other institutional services and supports specifically provided to enable people who have disabilities to participate in society and community life. Some such services and supports are mandated or required by law, some are assisted by technologies that have made it easier to provide the service or support while others are commercially available not only to persons with disabilities, but to everyone who might make use of them.
The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is a division of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). It is headed by the Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services for Children and Families. It has a $49 billion budget for 60 programs that target children, youth and families. These programs include assistance with welfare, child support enforcement, adoption assistance, foster care, child care, and child abuse. The agency employs approximately 1,700 staff, including 1,200 federal employees and 500 contractors, where 60% are based in Washington, DC, with the remaining in regional offices located in Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Kansas City, Denver, San Francisco, Missouri and Seattle.
Verna Eggleston served as the Commissioner for New York City's Human Resources Administration (HRA) for the Bloomberg Administration, appointed by former New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. She was the longest serving Commissioner of the agency, serving in this role from 2002 to 2007, and was the first Commissioner appointed to the position twice by the same sitting Mayor. Under her leadership, HRA developed "We Care", a Mayoral initiative which received the 2008 Innovation Award from the United States Department of Labor. in 2016, Eggleston received the Civic Leadership Award from the Citizens Committee in New York, where she serves as a permanent member, representing Bloomberg Philanthropies in "consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Development Council."
Social programs in Canada include all Canadian government programs designed to give assistance to citizens outside of what the market provides. The Canadian social safety net includes a broad spectrum of programs, many of which are run by the provinces and territories. Canada also has a wide range of government transfer payments to individuals, which totaled $176.6 billion in 2009—this cost only includes social programs that administer funds to individuals; programs such as medicare and public education are additional costs.
The United States Social Security Administration's Ticket to Work and Self-Sufficiency Program is the centerpiece of the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999.
The United States spends approximately $2.3 trillion dollars on federal and state social programs include cash assistance, health insurance, food assistance, housing subsidies, energy and utilities subsidies, and education and childcare assistance. Similar benefits are sometimes provided by the private sector either through policy mandates or on a voluntary basis. Employer-sponsored health insurance is an example of this.
The Center for Development of Human Services (CDHS) was a sponsored nonprofit program of the Research Foundation of the State University of New York located at Buffalo State College. CDHS/ Research Foundation began in 1976 when a small group of Buffalo State College faculty was successful in obtaining a $100,000 social services training grant to provide instruction to those employed in the field of social work. The Social Services Training Project, as it was then called, evolved into CDHS/Research Foundation, now a nationally recognized provider of human services training. CDHS/Research Foundation used to manage over 30 human services training projects representing $50 million in grant-funded activities that serve the residents of New York State and was the largest such provider in the state. From 1999 to 2010, under the leadership of Robert Spaner, Project Director and Principal Investigator, CDHS expanded from a $16 million operation with under 100 staff to a $60 million Center with 400 staff and 40 separate projects. In April, 2010 Mr. Spaner retired. CDHS used to be headquartered in Buffalo, with satellite offices in Rochester, Syracuse, Albany, and New York City. A large number of CDHS staff worked with state and local government agencies statewide.
The New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) is an agency of the New York state government within the Department of Family Assistance. The office has its headquarters in the Capital View Office Park in Rensselaer.
The Older Americans Act of 1965 was the first federal level initiative aimed at providing comprehensive services for older adults. It created the National Aging Network comprising the Administration on Aging on the federal level, State Units on Aging at the state level, and Area Agencies on Aging at the local level. The network provides funding—based primarily on the percentage of an area's population 60 and older—for nutrition and supportive home and community-based services, disease prevention/health promotion services, elder rights programs, the National Family Caregiver Support Program, and the Native American Caregiver Support Program.
The Oklahoma Department of Human Services is an agency of the government of Oklahoma. Under the supervision of the Oklahoma Secretary of Health and Human Services, Oklahoma Human Services is responsible for providing help to individuals and families in need through public assistance programs and managing services for seniors and people with disabilities.
The Pennsylvania Department of Aging is a cabinet-level agency charged with providing aid to Pennsylvania's approximately three million individuals age 60 and older. Although the bureau operates some services directly, such as the Pharmaceutical Contact for the Elderly (PACE) prescription drug program, it generally serves as a clearinghouse of funding and information for county-level Area Agencies on Aging. The department was formed under the governorship of Milton Shapp.
Disability benefits are funds provided from public or private sources to a person who is ill or who has a disability.
The New York State Department of Family Assistance (DFA), also known as the Department of Family Services, is a department of the New York state government. Its regulations are compiled in title 18 of the New York Codes, Rules and Regulations.
Welfare in California consists of federal welfare programs—which are often at least partially administered by state and county agencies—and several independent programs, which are usually administered by counties.
The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) is the principal advisory group to the United States Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on policy development and provides coordination and support for HHS's strategic and policy planning, planning and development of legislation, program evaluation, data gathering, policy-related research, and regulatory program.
David A. Hansell is an American advocate and expert on public policy and programs that provide assistance to vulnerable populations. He started his career in public service in the late 1980s as an advocate for New York City's HIV-positive population. He then joined the City government, where he was quickly recognized for his talent for modernizing government programs, and developing innovative methods for creating economic opportunities and sustainable supports for poor and working-class families.
The New York City Administration for Children's Services (ACS) is a New York City government agency that protects and promotes safety and the well-being of New York City's children and families by providing child welfare, juvenile justice, and early care and education services.
This article is intended to give an overview of the welfare system in the U.S. State of New York.
