Pew Research Finds US to Be an Entitlement Nation - East Idaho News
Politics

Pew Research Finds US to Be an Entitlement Nation

  Published at

GETTY H 112111 MedicareCardJPG?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1355914113215Ingram Publishing/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — As much as the federal government’s major entitlement programs have been lambasted lately and targeted by politicians for cuts, the truth is you’re more likely than not to live in a household in which someone benefits from these handouts.

The latest Pew Research center survey finds that at least 55 percent of Americans have received benefits from at one or more of the following: Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, unemployment insurance, food stamps or welfare.

While 59 percent of these recipients cast a vote for President Obama in the November election, 53 percent of those who picked GOP nominee Mitt Romney are also indebted to entitlements.

Overall, Pew said that 71 percent of households contain one or more members who’ve benefited from various major programs.  And if one factors in veterans benefits, federally subsidized college loans and grants, that number rises to 86 percent.

Just over one-in-four Americans have gotten an unemployment check and/or received Social Security payments.  About 20 percent are Medicare recipients, while around the same number use food stamps. 

Meanwhile, one-in-ten Americans have received Medicaid payments and 8 percent were on welfare.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

SUBMIT A CORRECTION