Johnnie Ellington II October 7, 2011 at 6:10 AM · QE to infinity is unavoidable.

Johnnie Ellington II
October 7, 2011 at 6:10 AM ·
QE to infinity is unavoidable.

Nearly Half of U.S. Lives in Household Receiving Government Benefit
By Sara Murray
October 5, 2011, 2:31 PM ET

Families were more dependent on government programs than ever last year.

Nearly half, 48.5%, of the population lived in a household that received some type of government benefit in the first quarter of 2010, according to Census data. Those numbers have risen since the middle of the recession when 44.4% lived households receiving benefits in the third quarter of 2008.

The share of people relying on government benefits has reached a historic high, in large part from the deep recession and meager recovery, but also because of the expansion of government programs over the years. (See a timeline on the history of government benefits programs here.)

Means-tested programs, designed to help the needy, accounted for the largest share of recipients last year. Some 34.2% of Americans lived in a household that received benefits such as food stamps, subsidized housing, cash welfare or Medicaid (the federal-state health care program for the poor).

Another 14.5% lived in homes where someone was on Medicare (the health care program for the elderly). Nearly 16% lived in households