06-08-2015, 10:22 PM
(06-08-2015, 09:38 PM)Nebuchadnezzar Wrote: A big question about a minimum wage increase I have is what will the government do for those on Social Security, welfare and food stamps? Will these people get their benefits increased to match what minimum wage is?
SS benefits are tied to inflation. Other benefits such as welfare are determined, in part, by your income relative to qualification levels (i.e. the "poverty level").
So minimum wage really has nothing to do with SS, and for other programs earning more means you'd receive less benefits....although I don't know much about the calculations and relation to income (and children, among other credits). But one of the arguments you'll see is there's no incentive to go work for $15k a year if you can receive $15k in govt benefits. Although for someone not disabled there are few programs you can collect indefinitely from.
Of course, there actually isn't a large number of jobs making minimum wage, but many more that might be $1-$2 above the minimum wage. The hope is raising the minimum raises those wages, but I'm not sure about that. So raising the min. wage just $2 probably won't have the impact some would hope. $12 is probably around the right number.
