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With the president and Congress attempting to reach a budget deal in
an effort to avoid the fiscal cliff, it is likely they will agree on
spending cuts, including those to entitlement programs. If they do
not reach a deal in time, the nation may stumble into another
recession triggered by the automatic austerity measures related to
the fiscal cliff. Either way, there is almost no doubt that social
programs and other spending will be cut in some way. The latest
offer on the table includes the elimination of unemployment
insurance for hundreds of thousands of Americans, as well as
longer-term reductions in Social Security.<br>
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If another recession is not avoided, the need for state assistance,
like unemployment insurance and welfare, will grow. Yet not all
states provide for their residents equally. Based on a 24/7 Wall St.
review of key state entitlements, including unemployment benefits,
Medicaid, welfare and education, we identified the states
guaranteeing the best and worst benefits.<br>
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First page link to article:<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://247wallst.com/2012/12/20/the-states-doling-out-the-best-and-worst-benefits/">http://247wallst.com/2012/12/20/the-states-doling-out-the-best-and-worst-benefits/</a><br>
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The 10 states with the worst benefits:<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://247wallst.com/2012/12/20/the-states-doling-out-the-best-and-worst-benefits/4/">http://247wallst.com/2012/12/20/the-states-doling-out-the-best-and-worst-benefits/4/</a><br>
<p><b>8. Idaho</b><br>
<b>> Average pension benefits: </b>$16,470 (14th lowest)<br>
<b>> Total per pupil spending: </b>$7,106 (2nd lowest)<br>
<b>> Medicaid payments per enrollee: </b>$5,658 (24th lowest)<br>
<b>> Pct. of weekly wages covered by unemployment benefits: </b>36.8%
(19th highest)<br>
<b>> No. of months of TANF received: </b>6.5 (the lowest)<br>
<b>> Avg. TANF cash assistance per month:</b> $298 (19th
lowest)</p>
<p>In the third-quarter of 2012, Idaho was one of the nation’s least
expensive states to live in. Despite the low costs of living, few
states spend less on social programs than Idaho. In 2010, the
state spent just over $7,000 per student, the second-lowest amount
in the nation behind Utah. A September report from the Center for
Budget and Policy Priorities stated that per student spending in
Idaho was down 19% from 2008 after adjusting for inflation. This
was a larger decline than nearly all states in the U.S. Needy
families in the state also received little support, getting just
over six months of TANF benefits on average — worse than any other
state and nearly 32 months less than the U.S. average.<br>
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<p><[...]><br>
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<p>In order to assess how much or little a state does to guarantee
benefits and services, 24/7 Wall St. gauged spending by each state
on a number of different programs. Average pension benefits
figures we considered, published by the Center for Retirement
Research at Boston College for the 2010 fiscal year, reflect the
largest general employee public pensions for which the center
provided information. Education expenditure figures for fiscal
2010 are from the U.S. Census Bureau’s study, “Public Education
Finances: 2010.” Medicaid payments per enrollee for fiscal 2009
are from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Unemployment insurance figures were provided by the U.S.
Department of Labor’s Employment & Training Administration and
are calculated over a 12-month period ending in the third quarter
of 2012. Information on Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
figures was taken from the the Department of Health and Human
Services’ Administration for Children and Families.<br>
</p>
<p>The 10 states with the best benefits:<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://247wallst.com/2012/12/20/the-states-doling-out-the-best-and-worst-benefits/2/">http://247wallst.com/2012/12/20/the-states-doling-out-the-best-and-worst-benefits/2/</a>
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<p><br>
Ken<br>
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