[John Jorsett]

It was 5 years cumulative for your lifetime (i.e. go on it for a year, go off for 2 years, go back on for another year, etc. until you hit 5 total. Then you're done.) And it allowed a state to exempt around 20%(I think) of its recipients, so they could be on it permanently. Many people are at the end of their alloted 5 years and I've been seeing some of the handwringing articles appear.

[FITZ]

I'll bet not many are going off welfare. Something will be done to allow them to collect forever.