This is so important.

This is absolutely a problem with most welfare programs -- the built-in disincentive to work. As soon as you start getting a paycheck, not only do your benefits drop (probably by more than you are getting paid), but your pay is taxable. Plus, once you start working, you have to take over for yourself a bunch of stuff that the government was doing for you, like health insurance.

The whole system is designed not to move people off of it.

You see the same thing with SSDI. The construction worker that is injured and then builds up his computer skills over years and wants to get an IT job will lose his SSDI/Medicaid benefits way before he is making the same income.

So there is no reason for anyone to get a new job.