What is a Social Welfare System?

As I start my dive into the broad and controversial topic of discussion that is social welfare, I believe that a social welfare system should be defined, for those who may have forgotten the true meaning or simply never knew.

So, what exactly is a social welfare system?
 In short, a social welfare system is a government system that provides assistance to both individuals and families in need. The services provided consist of food stamps, health care, child-care and unemployment compensation.In the United States, the federal government provides grants to each state through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. However, each state has a different way of organizing their welfare systems and services, as well as different regulations.

So there you have it, a social welfare system is a system that helps provide assistance for people who need it. Some examples of social welfare systems in the United States are Social Security and Medicare.

Each states social security policies can be viewed here at:
http://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/statcomps/ssi_sc/