Means-Tested Programs: An Overview, Problems, and Issues (Testimony,
02/07/95, GAO/T-HEHS-95-76).

Nearly 80 means-tested programs have been created over the years for
low-income people.  In fiscal year 1992, the federal government spent
about $208 billion on these programs to meet the needs of poor Americans
of all ages.  The many means-tested programs are costly and difficult to
administer.  On the one hand, the programs sometimes overlap one
another; on the other hand, they are often so narrowly focused that
service gaps hinder clients.  GAO notes that although advanced computer
technology is essential to the programs operating efficiently, it is not
being effectively developed or used.  Due to their size and complexity,
many of these programs are vulnerable to waste, fraud, and abuse.
Moreover, the welfare system is often difficult for clients to use
effectively.  Finally, administrators have not articulated clear goals
and objectives for some programs and have not collected data on how well
the programs are working.

--------------------------- Indexing Terms -----------------------------

 REPORTNUM:  T-HEHS-95-76
     TITLE:  Means-Tested Programs: An Overview, Problems, and Issues
      DATE:  02/07/95
   SUBJECT:  Public assistance programs
             Aid to families with dependent children
             Welfare services
             Program abuses
             Administrative costs
             Disadvantaged persons
             Funds management
             Cost control
             Welfare recipients
             Intergovernmental fiscal relations
IDENTIFIER:  AFDC
             Supplemental Security Income Program
             Earned Income Tax Credit
             Medicaid Program
             Food Stamp Program
             National School Lunch Program
             WIC
             Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and 
             Children
             National School Breakfast Program
             HUD Section 8 Housing Assistance Program
             Dept. of Education Stafford Student Loan Program
             Pell Grant
             Job Training Partnership Act Program
             Head Start Program
             JOBS Program
             JTPA
             Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Training Program
             Social Services Block Grant
             Child Care and Development Block Grant
             Community Services Block Grant
             Maternal and Child Health Block Grant
             HUD Low Rent Public Housing Program
             HHS At-Risk Child Care Program
             
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