Government's help to troubled homeowners - Research Paper Example

Government's help to troubled homeowners Affiliation with more information about affiliation, research grants, conflict of interest and how to contact Government’s Help to Troubled Homemakers The Displaced Homemakers Self-Sufficiency Assistance Act has been introduced into law in 1990, “to help homemakers gain new skills to get into the workforce.” (The Displaced Homemaker Act, 2011). The act is meant for woman who works for the family at home but does not earn enough money to support her family, including dependent children.

To be eligible for the benefits under this act, it is necessary that the displaced homemaker must be without job or with a job that does not provide sufficient earnings to maintain her family. The other criteria that needs to be met is in terms of the fact that the displaced person would have lost public assistance if she has dependent children or income from other member of family The argument in favor of the Act is that it is timely help for unemployed or underemployed women whose chances of gaining employment are slim.

Besides, it could also be used in lieu of other income assistance that would not be forthcoming. The counterarguments against this Act are that this would first and foremost act as a disincentive to work and people will tend to depend on such assistance instead of working to earn their bread. Besides, this act has been mainly for women and not for men who may also be underemployed or seeking productive work. Therefore, the element of gender discrimination or bias is also quite evident in this Act.

While definitely seeking to grant succor to troubled and struggling families, this Act was also intended to offer a new stimulus to women who could not gain any benefits under Social Security or was under the process of losing social security benefits. But the fact that this could also act as a disincentive to work and was also gender biased forced the Act to be repealed in 1998. Reference List The Displaced Homemaker Act. (2011). eHOW. Retrieved March 10, 2011, from http://www.ehow.com/info_7913118_displaced-homemaker-act.html