Critics say there would not be a record 20 percent drop in welfare case loads if they hadn't first climbed to a record peak under the Clinton administration. The White House is also being accused of just guessing what happened to the three million welfare recipients who departed the rolls, since the Health and Human Services Department doesn't track them. When word spread about Republican determination to clean up the welfare mess, countless beneficiaries suddenly began jumping out of the system, filling many of the 12 million jobs created over the past four years. Even those involved in administering the welfare industry admit that the reform bill's time limits had a chilling effect on new applicants. It also weeded out those who weren't supposed to be collecting benefits in the first place.
Observers report that the culture of welfare administration is changing.
By and large, caseworkers formerly just filled out paperwork so applicants could get checks.