You might not want to select this state if nice weather is at the top of your must-have list, … New York spent $8,910 per Medicaid enrollee in fiscal 2010, trailing only Alaska. That same year, the average state or local pension beneficiary received more than $29,000 per year, one of the largest average benefits in the U.S. During his tenure, Governor Chris Christie has pushed through reforms in both teacher tenure and pension spending. One factor that seems to be consistently true across states with the most and the least benefits is the political climate. Opponents of asset limit believe this discourages saving for emergencies. ALSO READ: The Cars Americans Do Not Want to Buy, 2. In 2011, Governor Peter Shumlin signed into law Green Mountain Healthcare, a single-payer plan. The darker states pay the most generous benefits. The theme of most welfare histories is 'the coming of the welfare state' as though all previous forms of welfare were temporary and incomplete, that it … Connecticut was among the highest spenders on education in 2011, spending more than $5,000 more per pupil than the national average. Additionally, Medicaid spending per enrollee as of fiscal 2010 totalled just $4,150, less than in all but three other states. Vermont> Average pension benefits: $15,802 (6th lowest)> Total per pupil spending: $15,925 (4th highest)> Medicaid payments per enrollee: $6,158 (18th highest)> Tax collections per capita: $4,293 (4th highest). Red States Don’t Benefit as Much as Blue States:States that went to the Republican party in the 2012 presidential election received an average ranking of 31.9 in this report, compared to an average ranking of 20.7 for states that went Democratic. 1. Florida > Average pension benefits: $21,304 (23rd lowest) > Total per pupil spending: $8,887 (13th lowest) > Medicaid payments per enrollee: $4,434 (5th lowest) > Tax collections per capita: $1,718 (7th lowest). Red state budgets averaged 35.75 percent federal money. Nebraska. Turn2us - for information on income-related benefits, tax credits, Council Tax Reduction, Carer’s Allowance, Universal Credit and how your benefits will be affected if you start work or change your working hours 2. In addition, compensation for teachers in Mississippi’s K-12 system was among the worst in the country in fiscal year 2011. Teacher salaries and benefits were among the highest at that time as well. 24/7 Wall St. identified the states that guaranteed the most benefits in these five categories, and the states that guaranteed the least. To calculate this information, we relied on the Rockefeller Institute of Government's report. States that spent more on benefits were also more likely to have higher median incomes, which mean that tax bases were also higher. Of the 10 states that spent the least on their social programs, all but one — Florida — voted Republican. Rhode Islanders received another relatively generous benefit. This was less than all but a few other states. New York > Average pension benefits: $30,871 (5th highest) > Total per pupil spending: $19,076 (the highest) > Medicaid payments per enrollee: $8,910 (2nd highest) > Tax collections per capita: $3,497 (8th highest). Purple states were almost exactly at the national level with 32.92 percent coming from Washington. For families living in poverty, the federal food stamp program, together with Alaska’s welfare system, can cover families for more than 80% of the federal poverty level and the highest combined benefit as of 2013. While the federal government offers various assistance programs to U.S. residents in need — anything from unemployment benefits to food stamps — the states provide additional services and benefits. Check out your Social Security Statement, change your address & manage your benefits online today. Alabama elected not to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, which offers states the opportunity to expand the program at little cost. There is also information about council tax and housing costs, national insurance, payment of benefits and problems with benefits. New York spent $8,910 per Medicaid enrollee in fiscal 2010, trailing only Alaska. Nearly one in five households relied on food stamps that year, second-most nationally. But If All States Opted-In, Rankings Would Change Drastically: WalletHub constructed alternate, hypothetical rankings to determine the extent to w… And with Vermont officials pushing for universal coverage, health coverage in the state may improve even more. States Doling Out The Most Benefits 10. Pension benefits include both state and local pensions, while per pupil spending reflects the total from all sources of funding. One reason Arizona may be spending as little as it does on its population is its low revenue. The legislation, which took effect in July, reduced the maximum weekly payment available to recipients as well as the duration of eligibility. Of the states that spent the most on weekly Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) cash assistance, for example, the vast majority had among the lowest poverty rates in the country. *Washington, D.C. ranked 18th. Maryland> Average pension benefits: $22,173 (18th highest)> Total per pupil spending: $13,871 (8th highest)> Medicaid payments per enrollee: $7,046 (10th highest)> Tax collections per capita: $2,756 (15th highest). Vermont collected more taxes per resident in fiscal 2011 than all but three other states. Connecticut residents were also among the wealthiest in the nation as of 2012, with more than 11% earning $200,000 or more per year, the highest proportion nationally. Rhode Island was one of just six states to pay pension beneficiaries more than $30,000 in fiscal year 2011; the state paid $31,548 on average. In fiscal 2011, the state system spent just $7,666 per pupil in the K-12 system, the fourth-lowest in the country. Your Social Security number remains your first and continuous link with Social Security. Benefit calculators, how payments work, changes of circumstance, benefit fraud and appeals. 8. States Doling Out The Most Benefits, 10. The act was designed to lower the state's overall pension liabilities, which were projected to increase under the previous system. The most you can currently get is £134.25 per week. State Income Tax Breaks for Retirees . State residents covered by Medicaid received an average of just $4,434 per person, more than $1,000 less than the U.S. average. 2. However, this was not always the case. One factor that seems to be consistently true across the top and bottom spenders is the political climate. As of the middle of last year, however, the fund had recovered substantially, exceeding $40 billion in value. Overall, however, Alaskans have access to very generous benefits. Overall, however, Alaskans have access to very generous benefits. Beneficiaries of Pennsylvania's unemployment insurance program received more than $357 per week on average in 2013, among the most in the country. There does not appear to be a relationship between the relative needs of a state's residents for social programs and the state's spending. New Jersey was also a leader in Medicaid spending per enrollee, ranking third in the nation in fiscal 2010. Considering their high incomes and the state's low poverty rate, Alaska residents may have been able to afford it. While states receive partial federal funding for TANF and Medicaid, they have considerable discretion over how to implement these programs. In 2012, just 6.5% of Vermont’s population didn't have health insurance, less than half the national rate. 1. Maryland was one of the wealthiest states in the nation in 2012, when a typical household earned more than $71,000, the highest of any state. Let's see the states which pay the most to the Federal Government, starting with number 10: 10. Christie recently began his second term as governor with a "State of the State" speech, in which he pushed further reforms to both education and state pensions. Last year, the state also eliminated its asset limit, which had previously left many families unqualified for TANF due to their savings and other assets. Massachusetts had $6,832 per person in state revenue as of fiscal 2011, more than all but eight other states. While states receive partial federal funding for TANF and Medicaid, they have considerable discretion over how to implement these programs. 3. Vermont collected more taxes per resident in fiscal 2011 than all but three other states. Most of the least generous states have among the lowest median incomes in the country. Pension benefits include both state and local pensions, while per pupil spending reflects the total from all sources of funding. In the 2014 Budget the government introduced a 'cap' on spending in the welfare budget. Similarly, states that were close to the bottom of our list for doling out benefits and services spent less than average in nearly every spending category. All data used were for the most recent available year. Even the lower benefit level places Hawaii among the most generous states. New York. Last year, the state also eliminated its asset limit, which had previously left many families unqualified for TANF due to their savings and other assets. States like New York, which spent the most in the country on education per pupil and second-most in the country on Medicaid per enrollee, paid the fourth-lowest weekly unemployment benefits relative to lost wages. Beneficiaries of Pennsylvania’s unemployment insurance program received more than $357 per week on average in 2013, among the most in the country. Politicians Marco Rubio and Paul Ryan recently introduced a plan to fight poverty by transferring more responsibility to the states. New Jersey was also a leader in Medicaid spending per enrollee, ranking third in the nation in fiscal 2010. By either measure this was more than any other state. Massachusetts had $6,832 per person in state revenue as of fiscal 2011, more than all but eight other states. Additionally, a single-parent family of three in Louisiana received $240 per week in TANF benefits, less than all but a few states. 6. Alabama was among the lowest spenders on a number of programs. Connecticut> Average pension benefits: $35,079 (the highest)> Total per pupil spending: $15,600 (6th highest)> Medicaid payments per enrollee: $7,561 (7th highest)> Tax collections per capita: $3,754 (5th highest). The reasons some states spend more than others on benefits and programs is complicated. 9. New York> Average pension benefits: $30,871 (5th highest)> Total per pupil spending: $19,076 (the highest)> Medicaid payments per enrollee: $8,910 (2nd highest)> Tax collections per capita: $3,497 (8th highest). In order to assess how much or how little a state guarantees in benefits and services, 24/7 Wall St. examined spending by each state on a number of different programs. However, this may have been in part due to the high cost of health care in the state. However, this was not always the case. "In the states that have urban, higher income populations… there's money there, and the politics have evolved to encourage spending on public programs. On a per-pupil basis, educator wages were lower than $5,000, less than all but three states. Pennsylvania > Average pension benefits: $24,360 (14th highest) > Total per pupil spending: $13,467 (10th highest) > Medicaid payments per enrollee: $7,288 (8th highest) > Tax collections per capita: $2,541 (20th highest). In 2011, Governor Peter Shumlin signed into law Green Mountain Healthcare, a single-payer plan. New Jersey> Average pension benefits: $29,425 (8th highest)> Total per pupil spending: $15,968 (3rd highest)> Medicaid payments per enrollee: $8,309 (3rd highest)> Tax collections per capita: $3,085 (12th highest). Due in part to high taxes, the state's revenue in 2011 was $17,630 per capita, by far the highest in the nation that year. The state was also a high spender on Medicaid, paying $6,841 per enrollee as of fiscal 2010, 12th most in the nation. Beginning in July, workers hired by the state will be eligible for a hybrid pension plan that requires contributions by both employees and the state. 3. Alaska > Average pension benefits: $23,795 (15th highest) > Total per pupil spending: $16,674 (2nd highest) > Medicaid payments per enrollee: $9,310 (the highest) > Tax collections per capita: $7,708 (the highest). Louisiana is one of the poorest states, with nearly 20% of the population living below the poverty line as of 2012. 9. In 2012, Governor Andrew Cuomo petitioned the federal government to allow the state to keep some of the billions of dollars its Medicaid redesign saved. Connecticut > Average pension benefits: $35,079 (the highest) > Total per pupil spending: $15,600 (6th highest) > Medicaid payments per enrollee: $7,561 (7th highest) > Tax collections per capita: $3,754 (5th highest). Since the start of 2014, Pennsylvania's unemployed may have a rough time because federally funded unemployment compensation is ending for nearly 90,000 Pennsylvania residents. For the most part, states that spent the most in one program tend to spent the most overall. During the 12 months through the third quarter of last year, however, Alaska’s unemployed received $250 per week, on average, relatively small compared to the rest of the U.S. Additionally, more than one in five people in Alaska did not have health insurance in 2012, more than nearly any other state. Christie recently began his second term as governor with a “State of the State” speech, in which he pushed further reforms to both education and state pensions. Right now, the states already bear a substantial burden. If you reach state pension age on or after 6 April 2016, the starting point for calculating what you get is the ‘full level’ of the new state pension of £175.20. Indiana > Average pension benefits: $16,679 (10th lowest) > Total per pupil spending: $9,370 (20th lowest) > Medicaid payments per enrollee: $4,790 (7th lowest) > Tax collections per capita: $2,292 (22nd lowest), Indiana pension recipients received just $16,679 in fiscal 2011, much lower than the national average pension of $25,135 that year. Unemployment insurance benefits averaged just $206 per week, or barely 26% of workers’ average wages. With the cost of living rising in many parts of the country, state … New Mexico ranks as the state most dependent on the federal government. For families living in poverty, the federal food stamp program, together with Alaska's welfare system, can cover families for more than 80% of the federal poverty level and the highest combined benefit as of 2013. Connecticut was among the highest spenders on education in 2011, spending more than $5,000 more per pupil than the national average. Information on TANF figures is from the CBPP. Thirteen out of the top 15 states found to be most dependent on the federal government voted for President Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election. Hawaii> Average pension benefits: $23,457 (16th highest)> Total per pupil spending: $12,004 (13th highest)> Medicaid payments per enrollee: $5,132 (13th lowest)> Tax collections per capita: $3,548 (7th highest). North Carolina > Average pension benefits: $18,751 (13th lowest) > Total per pupil spending: $8,312 (7th lowest) > Medicaid payments per enrollee: $5,803 (22nd lowest) > Tax collections per capita: $2,332 (24th lowest). Vermont > Average pension benefits: $15,802 (6th lowest) > Total per pupil spending: $15,925 (4th highest) > … 7. 5. Recently, Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack added Louisiana to the government’s StrikeForce Initiative. Unemployed workers received an average benefit of nearly $423, or 52.5% of the average weekly wage, as of the third quarter of 2013 -- both more than any other state. ALSO READ: The Best and Worst Run Cities in America. The welfare state of the United Kingdom began to evolve in the 1900s and early 1910s, and comprises expenditures by the government of the United Kingdom intended to improve health, education, employment and social security.The British system has been classified as a liberal welfare state system. While state residents rely heavily on federal benefit programs, they are less able to rely on state-level benefit programs. The state collected just $1,682 per person in taxes in fiscal 2011, compared to a state average of $2,441. States like New York, which spent the most in the country on education per pupil and second-most in the country on Medicaid per enrollee, paid the fourth-lowest weekly unemployment benefits relative to lost wages. Most of the least generous states have among the lowest median incomes in the country. 4. "You wonder if it isn't to some extent a case of chicken-and-egg," he said. 2. This included just $1,152 per student on employee benefits, lower than all but one state, and $1,100 less than the U.S. average. Rhode Island was one of just six states to pay pension beneficiaries more than $30,000 in fiscal year... 2. This amounted to just roughly 13.3% of the federal poverty level as of 2013. However, while most states fund many of these social programs, the amounts and levels they spend vary widely. All data used were for the most recent available year. The political climate can also influence how much a state collects in taxes, with Democratic states collecting more than Republican states. In fiscal 2011, the state spent $8,312 per public school student, more than $2,000 less than the expenditure on a typical American pupil. The welfare state of the United Kingdom began to evolve in the 1900s and early 1910s, and comprises expenditures by the government of the United Kingdom intended to improve health, education, employment and social security.The British system has been classified as a liberal welfare state system. Against a national average of 32.62 percent [of a State’s budget] being federally subsidized, the blue states received 30.80 percent. South Carolina > Average pension benefits: $19,423 (17th lowest) > Total per pupil spending: $8,986 (14th lowest) > Medicaid payments per enrollee: $5,119 (12th lowest) > Tax collections per capita: $1,650 (2nd lowest). Of the 10 states that ranked as the most generous, nine voted Democratic in the last presidential election, with Alaska as the exceptions. The state’s unemployment insurance program was also one of the least generous in the country, with the average weekly benefit accounting for just 28.2% of weekly wages, compared to a … 6. Considering their high incomes and the state's low poverty rate, Alaska residents may have been able to afford it. At the beginning of last year, North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory approved substantial cuts to unemployment benefits. On a per-student basis, the state was also among the highest spenders on both teachers and school system workers. How benefits work. As of the most recent quarter, only care in Alaska was more expensive, according to MERIC. New York... 3. 24/7 Wall St. is a USA TODAY content partner offering financial news and commentary. Rhode Island> Average pension benefits: $31,548 (3rd highest)> Total per pupil spending: $13,815 (9th highest)> Medicaid payments per enrollee: $8,229 (5th highest)> Tax collections per capita: $2,603 (18th highest). How much state pension will I get if I qualified on or after 6 April 2016? Social programs in the United States are programs designed to ensure that the basic needs of the American population are met. In fact, all five of the states with the highest median income are among the top spenders on social programs. (Photo: The Rose Island Lighthouse). Rose Island Lighthouse in Newport Rhode Island. Click here to see the states with the least government benefits. We considered average pension benefit payments per beneficiary as well as per pupil spending, both published by the Census Bureau for the 2011 fiscal year. Connecticut pension beneficiaries received generous payments in 2011 of more than $35,000 on average — the highest in the country. Pennsylvania was also a top spender on education as of fiscal 2011. Median household income in the state was $67,712 in 2012, higher than all but two other states. Connecticut residents were also among the wealthiest in the nation as of 2012, with more than 11% earning $200,000 or more per year, the highest proportion nationally. State spending on employee benefits was also among the lowest nationally that year. Recently, Haley publicly disclosed plans to increase education spending by $160 million. Alaska> Average pension benefits: $23,795 (15th highest)> Total per pupil spending: $16,674 (2nd highest)> Medicaid payments per enrollee: $9,310 (the highest)> Tax collections per capita: $7,708 (the highest). Older U.S. residents are automatically covered by the federally funded Medicare program. 8. They pay for public pension plans, unemployment insurance, education, Medicaid, and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program (TANF), among other benefits. A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. We considered average pension benefit payments per beneficiary as well as per pupil spending, both published by the U.S. Census Bureau for the 2011 fiscal year. In addition to its high Medicaid expenses, New York also led the nation in per pupil spending as of fiscal 2011, at more than $19,000. Of course, New York must also raise enough taxes to be able to provide these services. Even the lower benefit level places Hawaii among the most generous states. What If You Have Fewer Than 35 Years of National Insurance Contributions? The state's 2006 health care reforms, often considered a model for the ACA, are likely the reason for the high coverage rates in the state. High state tax revenue -- $8,988 per capita -- may have helped account for Vermont’s generous benefit programs that year. Tennessee > Average pension benefits: $16,626 (9th lowest) > Total per pupil spending: $8,242 (6th lowest) > Medicaid payments per enrollee: $5,565 (20th lowest) > Tax collections per capita: $1,761 (8th lowest), No state ranks below Tennessee in providing benefits to its residents. However, a decision on whether to allow the state to reinvest this money within its own health system is pending. Connecticut. For those Arizonans who are still not gainfully employed, the state has one of the least generous unemployment insurance programs. New Mexico. In all, more than 18% of South Carolinians lived below the poverty level as of 2012. The Department of Labor's Employment & Training Administration provided unemployment insurance figures, calculated over a 12-month period ending in the third quarter of 2013. States with the most government benefits 1. Children, in particular, received relatively low Medicaid benefits. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Politicians Marco Rubio and Paul Ryan recently introduced a plan to fight poverty by transferring more responsibility to the states. This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: States That Spend the Most and Least on Welfare. 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