I worked as a consultant for the Department of Public Welfare for more than three years.

I’ve done the #MATH, and @andrewyang’s #FreedomDividend is vastly superior to many public assistance benefits.

I explain in this thread.

cc @scottsantens, @Zach_Graumann

1/ One of the criticisms of Yang’s Freedom Dividend is that the $1,000/month doesn’t stack (i.e. add to) *some* public assistance benefits. For example, someone receiving $150/month SNAP benefits won’t receive $1,150/month; they must choose SNAP or the Freedom Dividend.

2/ Yang’s campaign has explained which benefits will stack with the Freedom Dividend and which benefits will not. Make sure to research this.

For simplicity purposes, in this thread I’m referring to a scenario wherein someone receives SNAP only (again: SNAP doesn’t stack).

3/ First of all, it takes a lot of time to apply for and receive public assistance benefits. Someone needs to:

1) Fill out an application/gather documents
2) Interview with a caseworker
3) Provide regular updates thereafter (assuming they’re approved)

4/ Let’s start with filling out an application. It takes 2-3 hours for the average person to fill out an application for public assistance benefits. Why? Because the applicant needs to provide extensive data about themselves and the people in their household.

5/ For example, applicants need to provide all their demographic information as well as demographic information for others who live in their house. They also need to provide employment, income, resources, and other information needed to determine eligibility.

6/ In Pennsylvania, under the Corbett administration, SNAP applicants faced an asset test, which forced applicants to provide information about vehicles and other assets. Any vehicle beyond a primary vehicle counted as an asset, and therefore affected eligibility.

7/ Applicants in rural towns who had junker cars in their front yards that they used for spare parts were technically required to include the value of those cars as assets. All this meant additional time spent gathering data and entering it in the application.

8/ Applications can be completed online or on paper. The paper application is typically 20+ pages long, and we all know that manually filling out paperwork takes forever. On the other hand, someone who’s not tech savvy would require lots of time to complete an online application.

9/ Let’s keep things in perspective: People seeking government assistance benefits are often facing crises. The last thing they want to do (or have time to do) is run around gathering information and completing paperwork.

Think: Visiting the DMV while your house is on fire.

10/ Once an application is complete, the next step is to submit the application and wait for a response. Often times, the caseworker contacts an applicant because additional information is needed (pay stubs, etc.). This can potentially add hours to the process.

11/ SNAP applicants also need to do a phone interview with a caseworker. Scheduling and completing this interview takes time: There are missed calls, having to rearrange schedules, etc. This takes away a few hours of productivity.

12/ Assuming a person becomes eligible for SNAP, then from there on out, they have to constantly update their caseworker about changes to their income, employment, address, etc. Every life change (big and small) that could affect eligibility needs to be reported.

13/ Here’s the kicker: SNAP benefits are paltry. According to the USDA, the *maximum* amount a family of 10 can receive in SNAP benefits is $1,456. A single person? $194/month.

Again: These are maximums.

14/ Eligible applicants often receive their SNAP assistance in the form of a debit card.

Here’s the next kicker: SNAP benefits have limited scope. SNAP benefits can’t be used to buy vitamins, medicine, supplements, prepared foods, or even toothpaste.

Let that sink in.

15/ Your doctor says that you need to up your B12 intake? Can’t use SNAP to buy those vitamins. Need to buy a pre-made sandwich on your way to work? Can’t use SNAP. Need tampons? Sorry! SNAP not allowed.

These are all things we consume, but they’re barred from SNAP funds.

16/ Another unfortunate side effect of public assistance benefits is they incentivize you to limit your income. If you make too much money, you lose your benefits.

When you’re on public assistance, it’s almost as if your job becomes continuing to receive public assistance.

17/ Taking these things into consideration, the Freedom Dividend is exponentially superior to a public assistance benefit like SNAP.

Aside from giving you cash money to use however you please, the Freedom Dividend gives you *time*.

18/ With the Freedom Dividend, there’s no more jumping through hoops. If you get laid off or fired, instead of having to spend hours applying for benefits, you can use your Freedom Dividend as a safety net while you spend your time applying for jobs.

19/ But wait! There’s more. The Freedom Dividend isn’t only valuable for those currently receiving public assistance benefits; it’s also valuable for the caseworkers processing their applications. Why?

Because their jobs are being automated away.

Seriously.

20/ Technology has allowed for public assistance applications to be processed more easily. Client data points (income, resources, etc.) are increasingly available via exchanges with third parties (DOL, IRS, etc.), meaning client data can be imported and verified automatically.

21/ Some states have reached a point wherein some public assistance applications can be submitted by clients online and eligibility determined automatically through data exchanges—no caseworker needed.

22/ Caseworkers operate in high-stress environments. One day while I was providing onsite support at a county assistance office, a caseworker got punched in the face by an angry, desperate client. This isn’t uncommon. I’ve heard many horror stories.

23/ Caseworkers also get paid little—sometimes less than $30,000 per year. We as a society hold caseworkers individually accountable for the well-being of hundreds of clients, yet we pay them next to nothing. And we’re slowly automating their jobs.

24/ The Freedom Dividend could take a caseworker’s income from $28,000/yr to $40,000/yr. That’s a fundamental shift, and one that’s well-deserved.

25/ In summation, the Freedom Dividend is the way to go—not only for public assistance recipients, but also their caseworkers.

Important note: None of the information I offer here is proprietary or confidential. This information is publicly available.

/End