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While the availability of welfare has changed over the years it has recently recieved several amendments meant to expand benefits. In 1996 President Bill Clinton signed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, which gave money from the federal government to the states in order to provide benefits for the poor. States then had to provide evidence they were sticking to a certain number of requirements such as encouraging welfare recipients to work. Unfortunately, due to the flat rate payment policy, many states received far more than was necessary, and rather than saving the extra money for hard times (such as now) it was spent on additional welfare programs.
The new Economic Stimulus Act of 2009, however, will reverse the welfare-to-work provisions that were signed by Bill Clinton. Instead, states will receive money based on the number of people enrolled for various programs rather than simply at a flat rate. The House bill seeks to offset the cost of new welfare enrollees by earmarking 4 billion extra dollars for extra welfare assistance.
A number of government agencies have been created to administer the welfare program, including the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Department of Labor, the Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Education.
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