Welfare Spending Almost Double the Poverty Threshold per Impoverished Person

In Fiscal Year (FY) 2025, the U.S. federal government is projected to spend over $1.2 trillion on welfare programs, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). This amounts to $31,077 per impoverished person. That means the government will spend almost double the poverty threshold per impoverished person.  These figures were calculated using the Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO’s) 2025 outlay projections, CBO's 2025 demographic projections, the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS’s) 2025 poverty threshold, and the U.S. Census’ most recent poverty rate. Trillions of dollars in welfare spending, yet the system continues to fail Americans. With a lack of program accountability and billions of dollars in waste, individuals are becoming increasingly dependent on welfare. In general, welfare should serve as a short-term safety net that ultimately encourages individuals to take part in fulfilling work and provide for themselves. It would be wise for lawmakers to refrain from dumping trillions more into the system over the next decade and instead reform programs to encourage self-sufficiency.