An overview comparing the US safety net to other countries:
“Of course. They are the definition of social services. In rest of the western world:
- Health care is universal[1] , they don’t have age cut offs like Medicare, or ‘means test’ like Medicaid.
- It’s cheaper[2] and has better health outcomes.[3]
- Retirement Benefit
- Public Pensions (i.e. social security) are more generous.[4]
- Mixed and/or Semi-private pension are heavily regulated and often mandated by law.
- Food and shelter benefits (i.e. food stamps, section 8 housing, work-for-welfare) are more generous.[5]
- They don’t earmark certain benefits for food – for better or worse, it is straight cash benefit.
- Most US states have dropped any and all cash benefit for non-families, only offering temporary help for families[6] .
- Those that still have one, require work.[7]
- Public housing is usually well-maintained, safer, etc. relative to the US.
- I’ve seen Canadian public housing, and its nicer than my first few apartments. (If you watch DW, Rose lived in a ‘council flat’, to give you an idea for the UK.)
- US public housing complexes are barely maintained, underfunded, overcrowded, crime ridden, drug infested hell holes.
- Vastly more generous unemployment benefit.[8]
- The duration sometimes upward of 2-3 year.
- Not subject to legislative whims or the duration of benefits contingent on the unemployment rate, like here.
- Home health visits are often universally available.
- Childcare
- Universal home health and readiness visits for of pregnant mothers. (France[9] , Scandinavia[10] )
- Inexpensive municipal day care (France[11] , Scandinavia[12] )
- Tax breaks for families employing in-home child care workers (France[13]
- Universal free preschool.
- Universal paid maternity leave for both men and woman.[14]
- Vacation time is vastly larger,[15] and mandated by law.
These examples are not always the case everywhere, tho, to be clear, the West is a big place. Countries are big places. A countries services or regional services may vary[16] , in scope, quality, etc. On average tho, this is mostly correct. Surveys of social services in most Europe are almost universally positive.”
Graphic from http://www.e-manonline.com/images/entry/safetynet.jpg
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