In theory there should be many advantages to making direct cash grants to the poor through the Internal Revenue Service. We could eliminate much of the bureaucracy of means testing and fraud investigation in the social welfare system, for the IRS has a fairly effective system for verifying the reports it receives. If that money were granted directly to the poor, then the poor would not have to choose between conscience and shelter on a cold night. Very possibly, much of what is now spent on the poor is spent for things the poor neither want nor need. This last, of course, is the flaw in any such plan.
Poverty is an industry.
The social workers and administrators who work in that industry are always the people who are consulted when legislators want to know what should be done for the poor. Blau suggests that to establish a minimum base income equal to the poverty line would cost about twice what is now spent on social programs. It is merely farfetched that such an amount might be allocated. It is impossible that the social welfare system will give up paternalism. Menu Next Top Contents Prev.