For 11 years I worked for the Alaska dept. of Labor. Much of the work was with getting welfare recipiants to work. You would not believe the lengths people will go to in order to avoid getting a job and off the public dime. It finall began to work when we began reducing the monthlyhandout amount if they failed to show up for appointments. Many would/will sit around on their ass thinking the system will change back to the way it was in the good old days before they reach the time limit and only get serious when they finally realize that, yes indeedy, they WILL be cut off when the time expires. The fact is, most states will bend over backwards to give you money for training/eduction. But they have to want it.
It makes me mad, too. I have a very close relative who is a single mother on welfare. I have offered many times to tutor her to get her GED and offered to pay for the GED fee (so she can qualify for some training). She is just not interested. I feel bad sometimes that the government pays for her. It's not that I want her not to have benefits. But, as long as the government will pay her housing and a little food, she will not do anything to be self-sufficient, and consequently is teaching her children to perpetuate this kind of life. The government should absolutely require welfare recipients to complete GED classes and then at least spend a few hours a week earning some money so they can develop job skills.