Voters in West Virginia are ready for welfare reforms, according to results from a recent poll. The poll revealed that the majority of West Virginia voters, regardless of political affiliation, support five key welfare reform measures that would prevent welfare fraud and would preserve valuable resources for the truly needy.
The results of the poll, conducted by Opportunity Solutions Project, indicate that the majority of all voters support increasing eligibility requirements and financial asset testing for individuals to receive any taxpayer-funded welfare benefits. These tests reduce the potential for abuse of the system, and ensure that resources are available for individuals who are in genuine need of aid.
When asked whether they support enacting financial asset tests for welfare applicants, 82 percent of all voters replied that they support the measure; 83 percent of voters also support more frequent eligibility tests of individuals receiving welfare. And West Virginia voters want reform for food aid programs, as well: 85 percent of all voters are in favor of work requirements for childless, able-bodied adults who are receiving food stamp benefits, while 69 percent support returning eligibility income limits to traditional federal levels.
The results indicate that voters want accountability returned to the welfare system; 77 percent of voters support restrictions on EBT use at locations of luxury, rather than those of necessity.
“The results of this poll speak for themselves: West Virginia voters want their elected officials to fix a broken welfare system. Welfare reforms are successful because they allow individuals to escape the welfare trap and truly prosper, while also ensuring that the safety-net still exists for those who truly need it,” said Tarren Bragdon, Opportunity Solutions Project CEO. “The elected leaders of West Virginia have an opportunity to listen to what the voters want and enact responsible welfare reforms.”
The full report of poll findings can be viewed here.
