Common Sense Work Requirements for Public Benefits
Say your friend gets laid off, loses his house, and needs a place to stay. Surely you would let him crash on your couch until he gets back on his feet; that is what we do for people we care about. But if you noticed he was still on your couch several months later, and he spent his days watching General Hospital instead of job hunting, you would probably have a chat with him about getting his life turned around.
When it comes to Minnesota’s public benefit programs, we should have the same goal.
Recently, Senate Republicans unveiled a plan to require recipients of Medical Assistance to fulfill simple work or community engagement requirements. Medical Assistance is Minnesota’s version of Medicaid — the health insurance program designed to help low-income families. This is a good program with a noble purpose, but we want to create an environment that helps people outgrow their need for it.
Minnesota’s economy is in great shape. Companies are hiring. Job prospects are great. Yet, Medical Assistance rolls are increasing. It should not be this way. Our bill is simple. It says if you are able-bodied, you should spend 80 hours per month working, seeking work, doing community service, or participating in job training and support services.
It will benefit Minnesota’s economy and workforce, but much more important, it will lift people out of poverty. We want to get people off the state’s rolls and help them become productive, so they can create value for themselves and their communities. We want to help people live their American Dream.
We expect people to work if they collect public benefits, but we are also compassionate. We understand that some people have circumstances that make it very difficult to prioritize looking for a job.
So who is exempt? Sole caretakers of young children. Individuals working through alcohol or drug recovery. Retirees over age 60. Pregnant women. Individuals who are medically frail or collecting disability.
There are more than 1.1 million Minnesotans collecting Medical Assistance – roughly one-fifth of our entire state population. Not only is this unsustainable for state government, but we are doing these families and individuals a disservice if we do not encourage them to achieve their potential.
Poverty and public assistance can be a vicious cycle; the longer you are in, the harder it is to escape. Minnesotans are generally comfortable helping out their friends and neighbors who have fallen on hard times, and this is no different. But we also want to incentivize people to work, go back to school, and become part of the fabric of their community. We want to help more Minnesotans regain their independence.
This column originally ran in the Faribault Daily News.